Former England fast bowler Darren Gough expressed surprise after learning that Pakistan had left Shaheen Shah Afridi out of their Test squad for the series against England.
Speaking during talkSPORT’s coverage of the first Test at Headingley, Gough questioned Pakistan’s decision to leave out the left-arm pacer, particularly given the conditions in England and the inexperience of Pakistan’s bowling attack.
“I cannot get my head around Shaheen Afridi, how he’s not here in England. They must really highly think about their bowlers they’ve got on show here,” Gough said.
Gough acknowledged that Shaheen had struggled for consistency during the previous 18 months but insisted that the Pakistan quick still possesses enough quality to make an impact at Test level.
“If someone like Afridi, and I know he’s not been at the races this last 18 months or whatever, but he’s still quality. He’s still a quality bowler. Every time I see him bowl, I still think he can pick up wickets,” he added.
Pakistan entered the Headingley Test without several experienced players, while Salman Ali Agha led the side in place of Babar Azam. The visitors struggled with the ball as England posted 409 after Pakistan made 171 in their first innings.
Pakistan then collapsed for 135 in their second innings, allowing England to complete an innings and 103-run victory inside three days. The result gave England a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
The absence of Shaheen became a talking point during the match as Pakistan’s bowling attack struggled to contain England’s batters. Ali Usman took five wickets for Pakistan, while Khurram Shahzad claimed three, but England still built a 238-run first-innings lead.
Shaheen has remained an important part of Pakistan’s white-ball setup, and he recently impressed in the National Champions Cup final, where he took seven wickets, including a hat-trick.
He finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets in four matches.
