ICC Champions Trophy, the reason why Shaheen Afridi & Naseem Shah were rested from WI vs PAK Tests

Shaheen Afridi wasn't part of the last Test series against South Africa either, while Naseem Shah was dropped midway through that series and hasn't been picked now.

No one really knows what’s going on with Pakistan cricket. They make head-scratching decisions that leave everyone baffled. However, this time around the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) might be lauded for their forward thinking. In the past, they have been criticised for running their bowlers into the ground. Playing Shaheen Afridi against smaller teams like Zimbabwe instead of resting him was something they received flak for.

Why PCB rested Shaheen Afridi & Naseem Shah

Although red-ball cricket remains the pinnacle of the sport, the Pakistan vs. West Indies Test series serves no purpose in the grand scheme of things, as both teams are out of the World Test Championship (WTC) contention. This is exactly why the PCB decided to rest both of their spearheads, Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah, from the 2-match series starting January 17.

“But for the West Indies series, there was no purpose in taxing him (Shaheen Afridi) out since both teams are out of this cycle of the World Test Championship final contention, and the selectors are planning to have spin pitches in Multan,” a source told PTI.

Currently, the Champions Trophy 2025 is PCB’s top priority. It’ll be the first ICC event in Pakistan after 28 years. Naturally, Pakistan wants to defend their ICC Champions Trophy title. To do that, they need both of their aces. Keeping that in mind, they have rested them, so they are at their best come February 19.

“The selectors want Shaheen and even Naseem at their best in the Champions Trophy, as it is a 50-over competition and we are defending champions,” a source told PTI.

Pakistan’s squad for West Indies Tests

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.