PAK vs AUS: Pakistan press panic button, struggling Shaheen Afridi likely to be rested in Sydney Test vs Australia

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Shaheen Shah Afridi may be rested for the third and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground to manage his workload following the angry backlash the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faced after Khurram Shahzad suffered a serious rib cage injury.

Pakistan lost the opening Test at Perth by 360 runs with debutant Shahzad taking five wickets but he also got injured in the process and was ruled out of the Boxing Day Test match in Melbourne from December 26 and the final Test match in Sydney from January 3.

The star left-arm pacer took just two wickets in Perth and it has been understood that he can be rested from the third Test if Pakistan lose the second Test match in Melbourne. The decision would be to keep Shaheen Afridi fresh for the following T20I series in New Zealand which starts from January 12.

A source said that the team management wants to manage the workload of the pace bowlers, especially Afridi, as the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA is less than six months away and the series against the Blackcaps will be crucial to their preparations.

"The backlash the board and management is facing over the handling of Khurram's workload has set off panic buttons, plus the form of Shaheen has added to the concerns of the team management and selectors," the source said.

The source added that team officials and selectors had discussed Afridi's case with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Zaka Ashraf.

"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 said.

Pakistan are already without key pacer Naseem Shah, who is recovering from a shoulder surgery. Ehsanullah is rehabilitating following an elbow surgery and Muhammad Hasnain is nursing an ankle injury. Pakistan have lost two key bowlers, spinner Abrar Ahmed and Khurram, since they arrived in Australia.

There is also talk of the team management trying out a new opening combination of Saim Ayub and Babar Azam during the T20I series in New Zealand. Babar, who has been opening with Muhammad Rizwan in T20s for the last two-three years, has been told to be prepared for a new opening partner.

(With Input From PTI)