SYDNEY – Former Pakistani fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis on Wednesday voiced strong criticism against decision to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi in the Sydney Test against Australia.
The cricketing legends expressed their concern about the impact of the decision on the team and Afridi’s commitment to the longer format of the game.
Wasim Akram, renowned for his remarkable career in cricket, pointed out that the choice to rest Afridi lied solely with the player himself, emphasizing thatsuch decisions shouldn’t be influenced by the management.
Wasim said that there is a need for players to make a conscious choice between aspiring to become cricketing legends or prioritizing financial gains.
He also stated that the upcoming five T20 matches in New Zealand immediately after the Sydney Test, with Shoaib Afridi serving as the captain for the T20 format. He suggested that this decision appeared to align with Afridi’s interest, but he stressed the crucial importance of Test cricket as the ultimate and traditional format of the game.
Waqar Younis, another cricketing stalwart, expressed surprise at Afridi’s absence, emphasizing the significance of Test cricket during a morning show of a private TV channel. Waqar highlighted that Test matches are played for the love of cricket, not just for T20s or ODIs. He questioned the rationale behind compromising Test cricket for player comfort, saying that, “It’s a big shock for me because I was expecting him to be part of it,”.
