‘I had to prioritise Afridi’s long-term career’ – Hafeez defends ‘team’s call’ to rest Shaheen in Sydney

Pakistan Team Director Mohammad Hafeez has backed the ‘management’s call’ to rest pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi in the third and final Test in Sydney, which they lost by eight wickets on Saturday. Hafeez said his duty goes beyond just ensuring the team's performance in any series, admitting taking care of players' well-being is also part of his job.

Speaking in detail on the reason behind resting Shaheen in the final Test, Hafeez said he had to be considerate about Afridi’s workload as the left-arm seamer had bowled the most number of overs from either side (in just two matches), more than anyone, even those who played all three Tests, with Australia’s Nathan Lyon being the second-most busiest bowler (having bowled 70 overs in total).

Hafeez added that when he approached Afridi after the second Test, his body was sore and he required time to get into his groove. The former captain also noted that he couldn’t risk Afridi’s fitness because of the busy cricketing calendar.

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"He bowled really well in those two games and bowled the most," Hafeez said.

"When I asked him before the third Test, his body was sore. And I need to look after him more than anything."

"If someone thinks their body is sore and they can't deliver the best, we need to look after the career of the individual. I will never make a decision where a player can lose his career for six months or a year. It was a tough call but we made that decision for the betterment of the players. Because we cannot make that decision at the cost of a player's career,” the Team Director added.

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Meanwhile, Shaheen’s absence added to Pakistan’s bowling woes as they were already without Naseem Shah (out with a shoulder injury), Haris Rauf (preferred to play BBL) and Abrar Ahmed (out with a leg injury) for the whole series.

However, newcomer Aamer Jamal was the standout performer for the visiting team, picking 18 wickets, including two six-wicket hauls. Afridi and his fellow left-arm seamer Mir Hamza were Pakistan’s next-best bowlers, with eight and seven wickets, respectively.

Pakistan ready for New Zealand T20Is

After the conclusion of the Australia Tests, Pakistan will travel to New Zealand for five T20Is, where Shaheen will be the captain.

Pakistan appointed Shaheen as the T20I skipper after Babar Azam resigned after a dismal World Cup show. Pakistan is yet to name an ODI captain.