Pakistan are currently playing Bangladesh in the second Test of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Ground. A day before the match even started, Pakistan dropped a bombshell as they announced the playing 12 for their game. Superstar fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was surprisingly dropped from the side. While the Pakistan Test match head coach said that the fast bowler was being released to spend some time with his family because of his newborn son, it looks like matters are much more complicated than it seems.
According to a report by Cricket Pakistan, it has been revealed that a member of the Pakistan team management has been responsible for dropping Shaheen Afridi, because he 'does not like' the fast bowler. This left him disillusioned and heartbroken. He also felt that this treatment has been unfair to him.
This is not the first time that Shaheen Afridi has been a victim of unfair treatment. After the debacle in the ODI World Cup, Babar Azam stepped down from the role of captain. Shaheen Afridi was named the new T20I captain of the side. However, just months before the T20 World Cup, he was removed and Babar was reinstated.
These recent events have had a major negative effect on Shaheen Afridi, who sacrificed his lucrative league contracts to remain available for Test cricket.
Pakistan have brought in young off-spinner Abrar Ahmed for the second Test match. Mir Hamza, who has also been included in the playing XI could be a like-for-like replacement for Shaheen, with Abrar taking the place of Mohammad Ali in all probability.
Pakistan went for an all-out pace attack in the first Test against Pakistan, and have decided to move away from it in the second Test. Abrar Ahmed was called back into the side for the second Test, after having been released from the squad from the first Test to join the Pakistan Shaheens squad for their four-day match against Bangladesh A.