Harsha Bhogle says Pakistan "looks a Bit thin" as Shaheen Afridi is not picked for the third test against Australia
For the third and final Test against Australia, which begins on Wednesday Shaheen Shah Afridi and opener Imam-ul-Haq have been rested. On Tuesday, Pakistan announced their playing XI for the New Year's Test against Australia. 21-year-old Saim Ayub and 30-year-old Sajid Khan have been drafted into the playing XI. Saim, who debuted in T20 international cricket in March of last year, joins the team after putting up strong List A results for Karachi. He's never played a test match before. During his eight T20I matches thus far, he has amassed 123 runs at an average of 17.57.
After an almost two-year hiatus, Sajid Khan rejoins the Test team. He last competed against Australia during their March 2022 tour of Pakistan. Sajid has taken 22 wickets in seven Test matches, which is a respectable record.
Famous cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle had an interesting take on the omission of Shaheen Afridi. He wrote on X, "Big call to be without Shaheen Afridi for the Sydney Test. I thought Pakistan's key bowlers would be Shaheen and Abrar, but it looks a bit thin without them. I am excited to see Saim Ayub. I've heard a lot about him.”