Basit Ali has commended the Pakistan team management for their decisive move to exclude pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi from the lineup for the second Test in their ongoing home series against Bangladesh. Ali referred to this action as a ‘surgery’ within the team.
Mohsin Naqvi, Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), hinted earlier at significant changes (“surgery”) within the national cricket team, following Pakistan’s defeat to India at the 2024 T20 World Cup.
With Afridi’s omission, Basit Ali suggested that this marks the first major step in the team’s overhaul. In his recent YouTube video, he stated (at 2:58):
“The first surgery has taken place with Shaheen Afridi being dropped. Removing Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq was a minor adjustment. However, this move is a major surgery.”
Basit Ali also addressed rumors that Afridi was dropped due to an incident during the first Test against Bangladesh, where Afridi removed captain Shan Masood’s hand from his shoulder. Ali clarified (at 3:33):
“There’s speculation that Shaheen Afridi was left out because he removed Shan Masood’s hand from his shoulder. However, that’s not the case.”
A video from the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh showing Afridi pushing away Masood’s hand went viral on social media, leading to speculation about unrest in the Pakistani dressing room.
“This is also a wake-up call for Shan Masood,” says Basit Ali on Shaheen Afridi’s Exclusion
In the same video, Basit Ali mentioned that dropping Shaheen Afridi from the playing XI should also serve as a wake-up call for captain Shan Masood.
Ali warned that Masood might lose his captaincy if Pakistan fails to win the second and final Test of the series against Bangladesh. He commented (at 6:48):
“Shaheen Afridi’s situation is a warning to all Pakistani players. It’s a wake-up call for Shan Masood too. If Pakistan doesn’t manage to level the series, Shan Masood’s tenure as captain could be in jeopardy. The media and fans won’t stay silent if you lose a series against Bangladesh.”
Pakistan faced a crushing 10-wicket defeat in the first Test against Bangladesh, making Masood the first Pakistani captain to begin his career with four consecutive losses.
The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh is set to take place at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium starting Friday, August 30.
