Shaheen Afridi Excluded from Pakistan Test Camp
Selectors Concerned Over Shaheen’s First-Class Cricket Absence
ISLAMABAD: (Web Desk) – Pakistan’s white-ball captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has been excluded from the national Test team training camp, with selectors choosing to include him only in preparations for limited-overs cricket ahead of upcoming international assignments.
According to reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shortlisted 22 players for the red-ball camp and 27 players for the white-ball camp as preparations begin for future series, including the tour of the West Indies.
Sources said the white-ball camp will continue until September 18, while the red-ball training camp is scheduled to conclude on July 10. A separate preparatory camp for the West Indies tour is expected to commence on July 15.
Despite leading Pakistan’s ODI side, Shaheen was not named among the players selected for the Test camp. Instead, he has been retained only for white-ball preparations, indicating the selectors’ current preference to utilize him primarily in the shorter formats of the game.
The left-arm pacer last featured in a Test match against Bangladesh, where he took three wickets for 113 runs in the first innings and claimed two wickets for 54 runs in the second innings. He was later replaced by Khurram Shahzad for the subsequent Test.
Reports suggest that members of the PCB’s decision-making group have expressed concerns over Shaheen’s limited participation in first-class cricket. They believe regular involvement in four-day matches is essential for maintaining form, fitness and effectiveness in the longer format.
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As a result, the board is reportedly reluctant to consider Shaheen for Test selection in the near future unless he increases his involvement in domestic red-ball cricket and demonstrates a stronger commitment to the format.
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Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has been left out of the national Test camp, with selectors reportedly concerned about his limited participation in first-class cricket.
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