Shaheen Afridi likely to be excluded from Pakistan Test setup

KARACHI: Pakistan’s ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to be excluded from the national Test setup as the team prepares for its upcoming red-ball assignment on the tour of the West Indies.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has recently invited 49 players to a training camp in Lahore, comprising 22 red-ball specialists and 27 white-ball cricketers.

The white-ball camp will continue until September 18, while the red-ball camp runs from today until July 10, with preparations for the West Indies tour expected to begin on July 15.

Sources indicate that the PCB think tank has decided not to include Afridi in the Test camp, although he remains part of the 27-member white-ball group and is expected to report for duty on June 15.

The 26-year-old pacer from Khyber Agency made his Test debut in December 2017 against New Zealand at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. His most recent Test appearance came in May 2026 against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

Across his Test career spanning 34 matches, Afridi has taken 126 wickets at an average of 28.13, conceding 3,545 runs in 1,114 overs.

In his most recent outing against Bangladesh, Pakistan suffered a 104-run defeat in Mirpur and were also whitewashed on Bangladeshi soil for the first time in the red-ball format.

Afridi returned figures of 3/113 in the first innings from 31.1 overs and 2/54 in the second innings from 16 overs. He was subsequently dropped for the second Test in Sylhet, with Khurram Shahzad replacing him.

His bowling pace during the Bangladesh tour also came under scrutiny, as he struggled to consistently hit speeds above 140 kph, often operating around 134 kph.

Afridi made his first-class debut at the age of 17 for KRL against Rawalpindi. Concerns have reportedly been raised within the PCB over his limited participation in four-day domestic cricket, with officials believing it may impact his development in the longer format.

On this basis, the ODI captain is unlikely to be considered for future Test selection.

Pakistan are currently enjoying a break of more than 50 days from international cricket following their third consecutive ODI series victory over Australia. The Green Shirts sealed the series with a four-wicket win in the final ODI of a low-scoring contest.

The Green Shirts will return to action with a two-match Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, scheduled from July 25–29 and August 2–6.

Pakistan Red-Ball Camp Squad (22 players):

Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Usman, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Zafar, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori, Obaid Shah, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saqib Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahzad Gul and Shan Masood.