Shaheen Afridi’s workload has become an issue after Pakistan white-ball team head coach Gary Kirsten also commented on the same. This happened during the Champions one-day Cup 2024 match between Shaheen Afridi’s Lions and Mohammad Haris’ Stallions on September 13.
Pakistan are having a particularly difficult time in red-ball cricket, having suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Bangladesh. Shaheen Afridi had not performed well in the first Test against Bangladesh.
They will host England and the West Indies at home in Test matches before the 2025 Champions Trophy. This calendar included a red-ball trip to South Africa, as well as a limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe and Australia.
Their recent 2-0 setback to Bangladesh featured some unwelcome firsts. Bangladesh’s 10-wicket victory in the first Test was their first time defeating Pakistan away from home in a red ball match. It was also Bangladesh’s first 10-wicket victory in any Test match. They won their first series away from home against a side other than the West Indies or Zimbabwe.
Shaheen Afridi was not named to Pakistan’s side for the second Test in the series. Test coach Jason Gillespie stated that Afridi did not fit into the best combination they had devised for the second match.
Gary Kirsten calls Shaheen Afridi’s workload alarming
With a hectic schedule ahead of them, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, Gary Kirsten, has expressed worries about his fast bowlers’ workload.
Kirsten was commentating on the Champions Cup, a tournament organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board in which practically all of the men’s first-choice players were competing.
Kirsten is concerned about Pakistan’s two important bowlers, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, who constitute the backbone of their pace attack across all formats of the game.
They have borne a significant portion of the load, notably in Test cricket, of making critical breakthroughs in games to pull the Pakistan squad back into the game, while Afridi has also bowled extensively in limited-overs cricket.
“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 while commentating during the Champions Cup.
Gary Kirsten went on to say that the uninterrupted playing duration raises concerns about weariness and potential injury, particularly for Shaheen Afridi. Pakistan faces a hard season, and management will need to balance the player rotation to minimize burnout.
I saw a stat the other day that 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,” said Kirsten.
Kirsten emphasized the larger issue for fast bowlers worldwide: being constantly asked to excel in all three versions of the game while enduring extended periods of physical strain in Test cricket. The coach hopes Pakistan can strike a balance and save their valuable assets.