Shahid Afridi and Shaheen Shah Afridi. | (Credits: X)
Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has called for the management to rest his son-in-law Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan ahead of the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand on March 26 in Wellington. Afridi reckons the benched players must get opportunities, especially with Pakistan already having lost the series.
Shaheen has struggled quite a bit in the series as he has managed only two wickets in four matches at 66.50 apiece. The left-arm speedster had also conceded four sixes in an over against Tim Seifert in the second T20I. Shadab, meanwhile, has managed only one wicket in the four matches that he has played and hasn’t contributed a great deal with the bat either.
Shaheen, meanwhile, had married Ansha Afridi in February 2023 and they had a son in August 2024.
Taking to X, the former all-rounder wrote:
“For the final game, the players on the bench should be given a chance – with the series lost, Shadab and Shaheen can be rested and replacements given an opportunity.”
Pakistan plummet to 115-run defeat and lose the series
Nevertheless, the result didn’t go in the visitors’ way as they lost the contest in Mount Maunganui by 115 runs while chasing 221. The Men in Green had kept the series alive by winning the third T20I as they chased down 205 only in 16 overs, thanks to Hasan Nawaz’s blazing 105 off 45 balls.
However, Nawaz perished for a single-figure on this occasion and the top-order folded like a pack of cards. Only Irfan Khan and Abdul Samad made it to double figures, with the latter smashing 44 off 30 deliveries. Jacob Duffy and Zakary Foulkes took seven wickets between them, with the former taking four scalps.
The fifth and final T20I will take place in Wellington on March 26. The two sides will also play three ODIs after the T20 games.
