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Six-time world champions, Australia are currently hosting Pakistan in a three-match Test series. While the hosts won the first Test by 360 runs, they will next play in the second Test, starting December 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, followed by third, which will be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
While the SCG Test will be the last for David Warner, who has announced retirement from the longest format of the game, the Men in Green will also miss the services of Shaheen Shah Afridi. A source close to the team management said that Pakistan is likely rest Afridi from the third Test if Pakistan lose the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne.
“The backlash the board and management is facing over the handling of Khurrum’s workload has set off the panic button, plus the form Shaheen has added to the concerns of the team management and selectors. It is in the pipeline that if Shaheen doesn’t do well in the Melbourne Test and the team ends up on the losing side, he will be rested for the final Test so that he is fresh for the T20I series in New Zealand,” the source was quoted by Hindustan Times.
It is to be noted that after the Test series against Australia, the Men in Green will travel to New Zealand for a five-match T20I series, starting January 12 in preparation for the T20 World Cup 2024, scheduled to take place in West Indies and the USA.