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'Millionaire Or Great?' Wasim, Waqar Fume Over Shaheen Afridi's SCG Test Absence

image-lqx9h0acShaheen Afridi is resting the SCG Test (Twitter)

Pakistan fast-bowling legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis passionately slammed contemporary spearhead Shaheen Afridi for missing the New Year's Test against Australia in Sydney, which started Wednesday (January 3). 

With Pakistan conceding an unassailable lead in the three-match series, the team management decided to rest Shaheen to manage his workload ahead of his captaincy and bowling duties in the five-match T20I series across the Tasman Sea versus New Zealand from January 12. 

Wasim couldn't believe the turn of events and questioned the bowler on priorities, claiming that the decision had little to do with the decision-makers thinking but the speedster's preference. 

The 'Sultan Of Swing' insisted Pakistan quicks and all bowlers of the modern age must decide "if you want to be a great of the game or do you want to be a millionaire" and keep a clear head in defining their format preferences and priorities. 


Wasim, Waqar Slam Shaheen Afridi 

"Straight after this there are five T20s in New Zealand, and Shaheen (Afridi)'s the captain. But T20 cricket, who cares? I understand, it's there for entertainment and it's there for financial gain for cricket boards, for players, but cricketers should know that Test cricket is the ultimate," Wasim told Fox Cricket. 

"If we talk about what happened 20 years ago in this Test in Sydney, nobody knows what happened last night in T20. That's the difference. These guys have to understand and learn, if you want to be a great of the game or do you want to be a millionaire. You can become both but with a little more sense," he added. 

Waqar, who is also in Australia for broadcasting duties, was equally livid with the bowler he has seen grown up to become Pakistan's attack leader. The legend was fuming with the development since he felt Shaheen had just begun to regain his best form and rhythm as seen via the last Test in Melbourne. 

"That's a real shocker for me because I was expecting him to be a part of this Test match because he looked good in the previous match. He started feeling like the old Shaheen Afridi and started to swing the ball and the pace was getting better," Waqar said.