Pakistan Eyes Series Sweep Without Shaheen Afridi's Firepower

Ahead of the second Test against West Indies in Multan, Pakistan faces the challenge of playing without pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi, who wasn't picked due to his absence in domestic four-day matches. With a 1-0 lead, Pakistan aims for victory, powered by spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali.

Ahead of the second Test against the West Indies in Multan, Pakistan head coach Aaqib Javed explained the absence of star pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi. His exclusion, Javed noted, stems from not playing in domestic four-day matches leading up to the series. Instead, Pakistan relies on spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali to end their ICC World Test Championship campaign positively.

Pakistan currently leads the two-match series 1-0 after a dominant 127-run victory in the first Test. Afridi last appeared in their challenging series against England, where Pakistan suffered a heavy innings defeat. He has missed subsequent series against South Africa and the current matches against the West Indies, raising questions about balancing three formats without compromising performance.

Aaqib stressed the importance of maintaining stamina through domestic cricket. "Shaheen's absence allows other talents like Mohammad Abbas, who brought Pakistan to the brink of an exciting finish in Cape Town, to shine," said Aaqib. Pakistan hopes for a strong finish to a mixed World Test Championship cycle, buoyed by effective spin contributions from Sajid and Noman, following a home series win over England and a previous whitewash loss to Bangladesh.

(With inputs from agencies.)