• Home
  • Who Said What
  • No Bowlers Career Is Spoiled Hafeez Breaks Silence On Shaheen Afridis Rest From Scg Test

'No Bowler's Career Is Spoiled...,' Hafeez Breaks Silence On Shaheen Afridi's Rest From SCG Test

image-lr1movwcMohammad Hafeez (screengrab)

Pakistan may have raised eyebrows by resting spearhead Shaheen Afridi for the third and final Test in Australia, but their head coach and director of cricket, Mohammad Hafeez, reckons the move was justified on the back of the excessive workload undertaken by the left-arm speedster.

Hafeez defended the decision, criticised by prominent faces in the Pakistan cricket fraternity, including the legendary pace duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who lambasted the team management and pacer for opting out of the New Year's Test, which Pakistan played for pride after conceding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Reports had suggested the move was in the offing after Shaheen had undergone heavy bowling duties in the earlier two Tests in Perth and Melbourne in what had emerged as a case of clashing priorities at the international stage.

The pacer was also due to take on captaincy duties of the T20I side in New Zealand five days after the scheduled final day's play in SCG, and hence, the decision-makers felt it would be wise to give him a breather.


Hafeez Defends Resting Shaheen At SCG 

Criticised by fans and legends, Hafeez, however, stayed firm behind the called made under his supervision as the influential head of the support staff and echoed the reasons shared by the team management and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

"We took the decision to rest Shaheen and manage his workload because we didn't want his body to be adversely affected. In the last one year since his return from injury, he has worked hard, and the workload on him has been massive," Hafeez told the reporters in Sydney."We wanted to give him a break and manage his workload. I don't know what's happened previously, but at this time, I wanted to make sure that no bowler's career is spoiled due to their workload not being managed."

The former Pakistan captain also denounced suggestions that the move is suggestive of the national side's priorities as a whole and said it wasn't because of the five-match T20I series across the Tasman sea that they took their decision. 

"Shaheen did not rest because of T20 cricket at all. It's not because he wants to play T20 cricket. It's clear that his body was a bit sore. He wasn't feeling very comfortable that his body would be able to respond appropriately. As the team director, I have to ensure that no player goes into a zone where he suffers an injury. So before that happens, I wanted to ensure he has enough time to recover," he added.


Discover more
Top Stories