Shaheen Afridi has been left out of the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. Head coach Jason Gillespie discusses the decision and the team's approach to selecting the final XI.

Shaheen Afridi has been excluded from the second Bangladesh Test

Shaheen Afridi has been excluded from the squad for the second Test.

Shaheen Afridi, the spearhead of Pakistan’s pace attack, has been omitted from the 12-man squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi.

The left-arm pacer, who recorded figures of 2 for 96 in the first Test—where Pakistan suffered a 10-wicket defeat in Islamabad—had temporarily left the squad to be with his family for the birth of his child.

However, he rejoined the team on Thursday evening ahead of the second Test.

While the specific reason for excluding the premier fast bowler was not disclosed, Pakistan’s head coach, Jason Gillespie, addressed the decision, saying, “Shaheen will not be playing in this game.

We’ve had a good discussion with him, and he fully understands and supports the decision.

Shaheen’s been given some feedback and is working on a few things with his bowling to maximize his effectiveness.

He’s collaborating closely with Azhar Mahmood.

We want to see Shaheen at his peak because we have a lot of cricket coming up across all formats, and Shaheen is going to play a crucial role in that.”

Shaheen’s form over the past year has been a point of concern for Pakistan.

Last year, he took 14 wickets in four Tests at an average of nearly 40.

While many of Pakistan’s home Tests in recent years have been played on unresponsive pitches, Shaheen also struggled to make an impact during the tour of Australia.

Although his performances in ODIs and T20Is have been significantly better, there has been a noticeable dip compared to his previous form.

Gillespie didn’t explicitly state whether Shaheen was dropped but added, “Shaheen’s had an eventful few weeks, including becoming a new father.

We’re taking this opportunity to allow him to spend some time with his family as well.”

Pakistan has included Abrar Ahmed in the 12-man squad after the spinner was left out of the first Test to feature for Pakistan Shaheens against Bangladesh A.

Abrar is the only spinner in the squad, and his inclusion will likely depend on the pitch conditions in Rawalpindi, which have been under covers recently due to rain.

Abrar’s last Test appearance was over a year ago.

“We’re assessing the best combination for this game,” Gillespie said.

“We’ll evaluate the conditions before deciding on the most effective bowling attack.

We haven’t had much opportunity to inspect the pitch due to the weather, so we’ve named 12 players.

We want to make the most informed decision possible to select the team capable of taking 20 wickets.”

Mir Hamza is also included in the XII, while Khurram Ghulam and Aamir Jamal, who were recalled for the second Test, have not been considered.

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