Pakistan did not pick Shaheen Shah Afridi for their T20I decider against the West Indies: here's why.
Pakistan and West Indies faced off in Lauderhill for the third and final T20I of the series, having one a game each. Shaheen was part of the first two T20Is, finishing with 1-27 and 1-31 after taking the new ball.
Also read: The rise and fall of Shaheen Shah Afridi
Why did Shaheen not play the third T20I?
Shaheen, who had led Pakistan in T20Is last year, was dropped from their last two T20I series (both against Bangladesh). He was recalled for the West Indies T20Is, possibly with one eye on the Asia Cup later this year.
He was not picked for the third T20I, with captain Salman Ali Agha mentioning at the toss that he had been "rested". It is worth a mention that the third T20I was played less than 24 hours after the second T20I. However, resting for a series decider, when he had not been out of the side for a while, could come across as a questionable selection decision too.
3rd T20I, West Indies vs Pakistan
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Shaheen bowled the final over in Pakistan's last-ball defeat to the West Indies in the second T20I, conceding a boundary with three needed. Pakistan were also forced to make one more change, with Fakhar Zaman out injured. They replaced him with Khushdil Shah.
Pakistan won the match by 13 runs, sealing the series 2-1. Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub starred with the bat, putting on a 138-run opening partnership. Later, a collective effort from the bowling group restricted the West Indies to 176-6, 13 short of their target.
The Shaheen controversy that preceded the series
Ahead of the series, there were rumours on social media about an altercation between captain Agha and Shaheen during a training session. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board put out a statement categorically refusing the allegations, calling them a "calculated and reprehensible attempt to undermine the cohesion, morale, and reputation of the Pakistan national team".
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