Melbourne: Team director Mohammad Hafeez has defended Pakistan's decision to line up without spearhead fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi in the third Test, saying he had a duty of care to the Pakistan players that extended beyond individual games and series. He also said it was the team management - and not the player - that had made the final call.

Speaking after Pakistan's eight-wicket defeat against Australia at the SCG, Hafeez said he had to prioritise Afridi's long-term career. "He bowled really well in those two games and bowled the most of any bowler," he said.

"When I asked him before the third Test, his body was sore. And I need to look after him more than anything." Afridi's omission further weakened an already depleted Pakistan bowling attack that had begun the series without the injured Naseem Shah, the unavailable Haris Rauf, and the unfit Abrar Ahmed.

Pakistan's reliance on Afridi in such circumstances was evident in the frequency with which Shan Masood turned to him in the first two games, with Afridi bowling just shy of 100 overs in two Test matches. No fast bowler from either side - even those who played three Tests, bowled anywhere close to that number, and by the end of the second Test, the second-busiest bowler was offspinner Nathan Lyon, having sent down fewer than 70 overs.

The short turnaround time between the MCG and SCG Tests proved a bridge too far for Afridi. "If someone thinks their body is sore and they can't deliver the best, we need to look after the career of the individual."

Published in The Daily National Courier, January, 08 2024

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