KARACHI: Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi is set to be dropped from the national Test squad as the Pakistan team prepares for their upcoming red-ball tour of the West Indies.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently invited 49 players, including 22 red-ball specialists and 27 white-ball cricketers, for a training camp in Lahore.
The white-ball camp will continue till September 18, while the red-ball camp will run from today to July 10, with preparations for the West Indies tour expected to begin on July 15.
Although Afridi remains in the 27-man white-ball squad and is expected to return to duty on June 15, sources indicate that the PCB think tank has decided not to include Afridi in the Test camp.
The 26-year-old fast bowler from Khyber Agency made his Test debut in December 2017 against New Zealand at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. His last Test appearance came against Bangladesh in May 2026 at Mirpur.
In his 34-match Test career, Afridi has conceded 3,545 runs in 1,114 overs and taken 126 wickets at an average of 28.13.
In his latest match against Bangladesh, Pakistan lost by 104 runs at Mirpur and were whitewashed on Bangladesh soil for the first time in the red-ball format.
Afridi returned figures of 3/113 in 31.1 overs in the first innings and 2/54 in 16 overs in the second innings. He was dropped in the second Test at Sylhet and was replaced by Khurram Shahzad.
His bowling speed also came under scrutiny during the Bangladesh tour, as he consistently struggled to hit over 140 kmph, often running at 134 kmph.
Afridi made his first-class debut for KRL at the age of 17 against Rawalpindi. Concerns have reportedly been raised within the PCB over his limited participation in four-day domestic cricket, which officials believe will affect his development in the longer format.
Based on this, the ODI captain is unlikely to be considered for future Test selections.
Pakistan are currently enjoying a break of more than 50 days from international cricket following their third consecutive ODI series win against Australia. The Green Shirts won the low-scoring final ODI by four wickets to clinch the series.
The Green Shirts will return with a two-match Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, scheduled from July 25-29 and August 2-6.
Pakistan Red-Ball Camp Squad (22 players):
Ameer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Abrar Ahmed, Ali Usman, Amat Bhat, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Muhammad Abbas, Muhammad Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Awais Jafar, Muhammad Ghajib Khan, Sajib Khan, Muhammad Ghajid Khan, Khan, Saud Shakeel, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shahjad Gul and Shaan Masood.
Syed Yahya Hussaini
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