Pak vs Eng: Here's Shahid Afridi's suggestion for Pakistan's batting line up
Shahid Afridi gives suggestion for Pakistan's final Test match against England
December 13, 2022
As the third and final Test of the three-match Pakistan vs England series approaches, former skipper Shahid Afridi Tuesday suggested two changes in the Green Shirts lineup.
The former captain believes that top-order batter Shan Masood and wicketkeeper Sarfaraz Ahmed should be included in the Pakistan team.
Sarfaraz, who has played 49 Test matches, has not featured in the longest format for Pakistan since January 2019. Meanwhile, Shan has not donned the whites for Pakistan since January 2021.
“The players who are out of the side such as Sarfaraz Ahmed and Shan Masood should be given a chance. The players who have done well in domestic cricket deserve an opportunity since we are now also out of the race for the World Test Championship,” Afridi said during an event in Karachi.
Afridi also lauded the England team for playing an aggressive brand of cricket in Test matches.
“England have played outstanding cricket. Their captain [Ben Stokes] has made the difference with his decision-making,” he said. “The approach of their coach [Brendon McCullum] has been very positive which is a refreshing sight.”
Both games came on the back of aggressive batting dubbed "Bazball", after the nickname of new coach Brendon "Baz" McCullum who has transformed the team since taking over in May.
The victory gives England their eighth win in the nine Tests since McCullum and Stokes took charge.
It is also England's third series win in Pakistan, although they have not toured there in 17 years because of security fears.
It must be noted that England took full advantage of winning the toss — and their batting depth — to win the first Test by 74 runs on a dead wicket that offered nothing to the bowlers.
Rawalpindi yielded 1,768 runs in four innings — the third most in Test history — with seven individual centuries and five fifties.
The visitors also won the second Test in Multan by 26 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
The third and final Test of the series is in Karachi from December 17-21.
