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Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi (Source: AFP)
Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan's talismanic left-handed seamer, has been dropped from the playing XI for the third and final ODI against the West Indies. In the place of Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan have included Naseem Shah in the playing XI.
Pakistan Continue Rotational Policy In Series Decider vs WI
The reason for Shaheen Afridi's exclusion, according to Mohammad Rizwan, the captain of Pakistan, is that they want fresh legs on the ground for the decider. The captain also called it a tactical move during the toss, and it seems to be a decision which is based on their larger plan of rotating their pacers in the bilateral series.
Shaheen Afridi was the star performer for Pakistan in their win in the first ODI of the series. He bagged four wickets in that match, while he went wicketless in the second encounter. Thus, it is not a case of a bowler being dropped because of his poor form, but more of a decision to rotate the fast bowlers in the squad.
Naseem Shah also did not play the second game of the series due to workload management despite picking three wickets in the opening game. Now, he is back after some rest, and it would be interesting to see how he goes about his business in the decider of the series.
Pakistan, West Indies Eye Crucial Series Win
The pitches in the series so far have been helpful for the bowlers, and the batters would have to work hard in the final match too. Mohammad Rizwan has decided to bowl first after winning the toss and would be hoping that his bowlers restrict West Indies to a low total. Both teams have been inconsistent in this format in recent times, and a series win for either side would be a big boost.
