(AFP Photo)

Star Pakistani pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will not feature in the second Test against Bangladesh, starting Friday, August 30, in Rawalpindi. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced the 12-man squad for the series decider on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, and notably, Shaheen was not included. 

The 24-year-old left-arm pacer, a leading figure in Pakistan’s bowling lineup across all formats, had been a key player in the first Test, where Pakistan lost by 10 wickets. Afridi took two wickets in the opener, but his absence from the second Test surprised many fans. Following the squad announcement, Pakistan’s Test head coach Jason Gillespie addressed the media in Rawalpindi, providing clarification on Shaheen’s omission from the team.

The former Australian fast bowler, who assumed the role of Pakistan’s Test coach earlier this year, explained that Shaheen Shah Afridi’s omission from the second Test was influenced by recent personal developments. Shaheen welcomed a baby boy into his family last week, and this break will give him the opportunity to spend quality time with his family as well as focus on enhancing his bowling performance.

“He’s had an interesting couple of weeks. He’s a new father, so we are seeing an opportunity where we may allow him to go and spend time with his family as well as also work on something with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He’s been working really well with Azhar Mahmood, which has been fantastic because we want to see Shaheen at his very best because there is a lot of cricket across all formats moving forward, and he’s going to play a big role in that. But right now, we’ve got all the bases covered,” Gillespie told reporters on Thursday.

To fill Shaheen Shah Afridi’s spot, Pakistan has included pacer Mir Hamza and spinner Abrar Ahmed in the 12-man squad. It will be intriguing to see which of these players secures a spot in the playing XI for the crucial must-win match.