Jason Gillespie, Pakistan’s red-ball coach, didn’t publicly mention the D-word, but between the lines, it was evident that Shaheen Shah Afridi’s omission from the second Test against Bangladesh was performance-related. The fast bowler is seemingly on a downward spiral, bowling medium pace, not making a wicket-taking impact and leaking runs.
Over the last one year, Shaheen’s Test bowling average has taken a serious hit – 40.81 compared to his career average of 27.08. In the first Test of the ongoing series against Bangladesh that Pakistan lost by 10 wickets, the left-arm quick bowled 30 overs in the first innings, returning with 2/88. That probably broke the camel’s back.
A lot of Pakistani fans, active on social media, like to compare Shaheen with Jasprit Bumrah. Begrudgingly, they have been admitting that there’s no longer any comparison. Bumrah is cooling his heels because he is arguably the Indian cricket team’s biggest asset, and the BCCI have decided to wrap him up in cotton wool. Going ahead, the fast bowler is likely to play only in marquee series and events. Shaheen, on the other hand, is spending family time at the moment, because he has been excluded from the squad.
The biggest issue with the 24-year-old is how he has lost pace. From around 145kph, his speed has come down to the mid-130s. A ligament injury to his right knee that he sustained a couple of years ago might have played a part. But more than that, questions have been raised about the rehab – whether the process was right, or the fast bowler was rushed back to competitive cricket.
“This is a question that the medical staff in the team, physios and other specialists who are in charge of players’ fitness need to answer,” former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said, speaking to RevSportz. “Bumrah was out of cricket for around 12 months. After coming back, he has been bowling at his peak speed. But Shaheen has lost pace. And he is not alone in this regard. Pakistan pacers of late have been showing a tendency of losing pace. From 150kph, they are coming down to 135kph. The issue must be addressed.”
According to Latif, injury management of fast bowlers is an area of concern in Pakistan cricket. “For example, Naseem Shah was clearly playing through pain in the Asia Cup, and instead of resting him or giving him a break, the team management kept playing him,” he said.
Some people in Pakistan cricket are of the view that Shaheen’s loss of form is down to poor workload management.
“He has been playing almost non-stop cricket, across formats,” said Azam Khan, a grassroots-level coach. Latif begged to differ. “Bowlers during our time – Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar – also had injuries,” he said. “They also played a lot of cricket – county cricket and Tests. But they didn’t lose pace. The problem with the majority of current players is that they don’t play domestic cricket. They play a lot of T20 cricket. So, when they come to Tests, they struggle to adjust to the rigours of the longer format.”
The former wicketkeeper-batsman advised Shaheen to take a break from Tests. “Some time away from Tests might be helpful for him,” said Latif. “Also, there’s apparently a problem with his action, which needs to be sorted out.”
Abdul Rehman, the Pakistan Cricket Board-appointed head coach for the Peshawar region, has seen Shaheen at close quarters. And he is ready to cut some slack. “To start with, Shaheen wasn’t rushed back from his injury, he was fully fit,” Rehman told RevSportz.
“As for losing pace, it’s unfair to compare him with Bumrah. The latter had a back injury, while Shaheen suffered a knee issue. Their bowling actions are different. Things vary from one individual to another. Maybe, the injury is still playing on Shaheen’s mind, when he is bowling. But he will bounce back.”
At his best, Shaheen is Pakistan’s No. 1 fast bowler. He is also one of the most exciting cricketers in the world. And he is still very young. Maybe, the omission will help him have another look at his game, initiate course correction and return stronger.