Shahid Afridi raises concerns over exclusion of players in Sri Lanka tour squad

Karachi: Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi has voiced his opinion on the omission of three players from the upcoming Sri Lanka tour scheduled for July.

Afridi expressed his concerns regarding the absence of Abid Ali, Zahid Mahmood, and Usman Salahuddin, stating that these players have been overlooked despite their talent and contributions in the domestic cricket circuit.

Afridi questioned the decision, saying, "We developed a Test player who fell ill, received treatment, and recovered. I'm referring to Abid Ali; where is he? I don't understand. And besides him, you have kept two left-arm spinners in the team. There was a leg-spinner named Zahid Mehmood; where is he?"

He further added, "The rest of the squad is fine, but our players get out of the team due to injuries and then struggle to find a place again. In my opinion, Usman Salahuddin has played for Pakistan previously and had some great performances. Where is he? I mean, you give chances to completely new players, but you don't give chances to the players you have invested in; they don't seem to be noticed."

Abid Ali, 35, has played 16 Test matches and scored 1180 runs with an average of 49.16. He has three fifties and four centuries to his name. Usman Salahuddin, although having played only one Test match, has an impressive record in First-Class cricket, with 9254 runs, including 53 half-centuries and 28 centuries, at an average of 48.96.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the national team squad for the Sri Lanka series. The squad includes uncapped batter Mohammad Huraira and all-rounder Aamir Jamal, marking Pakistan's first assignment in the third cycle of the ICC World Test Championship.

The first Test will take place at the Galle International Cricket Stadium from 16 to 20 July, followed by the second Test at the Singhalese Sports Club in Colombo from 24 to 28 July.

Pakistan Squad: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, and Shan Masood.

Itinerary of Pakistan's Tour of Sri Lanka:

9 July: Pakistan's arrival in Colombo

11-12 July: Warm-up game

16-20 July: First Test at Galle International Cricket Stadium

24-28 July: Second Test at Singhalese Sports Club, Colombo