New Delhi: Pakistan white-ball cricket head coach Gary Kirsten has stressed on the workload management of the national team’s frontline pacer Shaheen Afridi in the light of hectic cricket schedule around the year.
Shaheen has played 18 T20I matches, nine matches for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL 2024 and one Test in this year so far. He was released from Pakistan’s squad before the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi as Pakistan Test head coach Jason Gillespie said they want Shaheen to work on his bowling at come at his best given Pakistan will play 22 more international matches across formats in the rest of the year.
The 24-year–old Shaheen is currently playing for Lions in the Champions Cup, a new List A tournament introduced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in its domestic structure. During the match between Lions and Panthers, Kirsten, who was on commentary, raised the alarming concerns over Shaheen’s workload.
“Fast bowlers are always under immense pressure to deliver and win games. When we look at our key resources, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah have carried the bulk of the workload for Pakistan across all formats,” Kirsten said, as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
“Shaheen has bowled three times more overs than any other fast bowler in the world over the last 18 months. That’s alarming—you’re bound to wear him down eventually,” he added.
Shaheen Afridi leads most wickets in T20Is in 2024 among full-time ICC members
Shaheen has picked the most wickets in T20 Internationals among full-time nations in 2024 thus far. The left-arm lanky pacer has accounted for 32 dismissals in 18 T20I matches at an economy rate of 7.71. He picked five wickets in four matches in the T20 World Cup 2024.
Shaheen has currently scalped five wickets in the ongoing Champions Cup in Pakistan. In the recent outings, he Umar Siddiq for a six-ball duck in his spell of 3 for 57 in Lions’ 84-run loss against Panthers.
Pakistan white-ball cricket head coach Gary Kirsten has stressed on the workload management of the national team’s frontline pacer Shaheen Afridi in the light of hectic cricket schedule around the year. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
