Shaheen Afridi likely to be ‘rested' for Sydney Test

• Shaheen Afridi will rest, if Pakistan loses the second Test.
• Afridi is tired because of continuously playing cricket.
• Management wants to keep Shaheen Afridi fresh ahead of NZ series.

KARACHI: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is expected to be rested for the third and final Sydney Test of the Australia tour, sources told Geo News on Friday.

The sources said Shaheen Afridi would rest if Pakistan lost the second Test as well against Australia. The team management wanted Shaheen Afridi to stay fresh before the T20I series against New Zealand starting on January 12, they said.

Afridi is tired because of back-to-back matches, the sources added.

The five-day Sydney match will begin on January 3 and end on 7, just a few days short of the T20I series.

On December 17, Nathan Lyon had taken his 500th Test wicket as Australia dismissed Pakistan for just 89 to post a thumping 360-run win in the opening Test at Perth.

Pakistan´s unlikely bid to win their first Test in Australia since 1995 was left in tatters by the spin king and the home side´s formidable pace attack, who had wrapped up the game inside four days.

Chasing 450 for victory, the visitors had succumbed meekly with Lyon taking 2-18. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood both grabbed three wickets each.

After being left stranded on 499 after Pakistan´s first innings, Lyon had finally reached the milestone when he trapped Faheem Ashraf lbw but there was an agonising wait as it went to review.