(Cricket News) When Pakistan takes the field at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the New Year’s Test, they hope to avoid losing to Australia for the sixth time in a row. However, vice-captain and pace leader Shaheen Afridi will not be available because he was rested for the match.

Afridi has bowled nearly 100 overs, more than any other player on both sides and has taken on more responsibility in the first two Tests in lieu of frontline pacer Naseem Shah. Pakistan captain Shan Masood has praised Afridi as a key player but has also stressed the need for him and the other players in the team who participate in all forms of the game to manage their workloads.

“You will never see Shaheen shying away from that. He will bowl all the overs. He will be running after balls and a lot of the boys will be shouting at him to go easy and not hurt himself because we have seen him do that in the past,” Masood had told reporters. “We have never had any doubts with Shaheen. He has bowled the most overs in world cricket in recent times.

He is playing every game and giving his 150 percent,” Masood had said to reporters.
“We have Shaheen as our main player. He did a great job in Melbourne, but I felt that his wicket total did not reflect the quality of his bowling. He is very important to us, so it is our responsibility to make sure he gets the right care and is in the right frame of mind.”

Afridi’s pace clearly declined at the MCG during the second Test. In the first Test, which Pakistan lost by 360 runs, he took just one wicket in each innings; in the second, he took four wickets in the first innings and two in the second, which resulted in a 79-run defeat.

Imam-ul-Haq has also been dropped by Pakistan, and debutant Saim Ayub is expected to replace him at the top of the order. After Abrar Ahmed’s injury, spinner Sajid Khan will also play his first game of the series.

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