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Shaheen Afridi in home Tests: How Pakistan's bizarre decision-making is destroying ace pacer

Debashis Sarangi

Shaheen Afridi has barely bowled in 1st Test vs SA [Source: AFP]Shaheen Afridi has barely bowled in 1st Test vs SA [Source: AFP]

The ongoing Test match between Pakistan and South Africa is heading towards a thrilling finish. After being bundled out for 269 in their first innings, South Africa made a remarkable comeback in the match, restricting Pakistan to a paltry 167-run total in their second innings. 

Amid the bowling excellence of Simon Harmer, Nauman Ali and Senuran Muthuswamy, what grabbed everyone's attention was a player of Shaheen Afridi's calibre bowling just five overs across both innings until the third day. 

As we all know, Shaheen Afridi is regarded as the backbone of Pakistan's bowling attack. However, when a bowler of his class is reduced to just five overs, what kind of message does this deliver? More importantly, what is Pakistan trying to gain by using their premier speedster in such a bizarre manner? Is Shaheen another victim of Pakistan's mismanagement? Let's analyse and figure it out. 

Shaheen Afridi's Test record: Performance in home and away conditions

Criterion
Home
Away
Matches1121
Wickets3284
Average3226.37
Strike Rate61.8850.14

(Shaheen Afridi's Test records in home and away conditions)

As evidenced by the above stats, Shaheen Afridi has been impressive in away Tests, while his numbers at home tell a different story. The left-arm seamer has taken more than ten overs to pick a wicket at home, while conceding 32 runs per dismissal. 

These numbers signify a sharp contrast in his home and away performances in Test cricket, showcasing that he has been a better bet outside Pakistan. 

Why has Shaheen struggled at home?

Nature of pitches in Pakistan

While Shaheen Afridi has three four-fers and one five-wicket haul at home, he has mostly been neutralised comfortably by the opponent batters in Pakistan. A primary reason behind Shaheen's ineffectiveness in home Tests is the nature of pitches in Pakistan, which usually don't offer enough assistance to the fast bowlers. 

Statistically, Pakistan's fast bowlers have bagged only 95 wickets across 76 innings at an average of 41.21 and a strike rate of 70.5 in home Tests since 2020. On the contrary, the spin bowlers have enjoyed stellar success, scalping 185 wickets in the same period at an average of 31.72 and a strike rate of 51.7. It suggests that the tracks in Pakistan have mostly been spin-friendly, offering little to no assistance to the pacers. 

Shaheen Afridi's decline in pace

Although the tracks in Pakistan have mostly been either flat or spin-friendly, the abrasive playing conditions in the country generally aid in reverse swing. The likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar were absolute beasts at home despite playing on placid decks, as they could make the old ball talk at a rapid pace. 

Reverse swing is only effective when a bowler moves the ball at a searing pace. However, Shaheen has evidently lost his pace after his ligament injury in 2022. Therefore, he doesn't really have the extra zip that helped him rattle India in the 2021 T20 World Cup. So, he mostly relies on assistance from the deck to succeed these days, further minimising his impact on home soil. 

Pakistan's puzzling stance on Shaheen Afridi

The Pakistan think tank's bizarre decision-making hasn't helped Shaheen shape himself into a potential great in Test cricket. The fast bowler was strangely dropped from the Test side after failing to perform on placid home decks against Bangladesh and England. 

While his numbers clearly show that he has been more successful in foreign conditions than at home, Pakistan excluded him from their Test squad for the away series against South Africa. So, despite recording nine wickets in just two Tests at a superb average of 26.67 and a strike rate of 40.11 in the African nation, Shaheen didn't play a Test on Pakistan's South Africa tour. In fact, Pakistan made him toil yet again on home pitches, recalling him for the series against the Proteas —a decision that lacked common sense. 

How is Pakistan's decision-making good for nothing?

Shaheen Afridi, a potent weapon in more seam-friendly conditions, didn't get a Test in South Africa. However, if he doesn't get wickets on relatively placid pitches in the ongoing series, chances are high that the PCB might judge him from his failure at home and drop him again. Thus, such kind of decision-making will neither yield any result for Pakistan nor develop Shaheen Afridi into a potential Test great. 

The way forward

So, considering Shaheen Afridi is Pakistan's premier speedster across formats, the PCB must manage his workload judiciously. While the spin-friendly pitches in Pakistan have marginalised his role, it doesn't make any sense to make him field in the hot and humid weather. Instead of wasting Shaheen on home turf, Pakistan must keep him fresh for more crucial white-ball assignments and away Test tours, where he actually can serve as the leader of their bowling attack.