Usman Khawaja weighs in on Shaheen Afridi's Sydney Test absence

Former Pakistani fast bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis have expressed strong disapproval of the decision to rest Shaheen Shah Afridi during the third Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

In the post-day press conference on Thursday, Usman Khawaja was questioned about his perspective on the matter, particularly if it implied that Pakistan did not prioritize Test cricket by resting their key bowler, Shaheen, for the third Test.

Khawaja conveyed that he does not perceive Pakistan as undervaluing Test cricket in comparison to other teams.

"I don’t feel like Pakistan don’t value Test cricket as much as we do. I just don’t know Shaheen’s personal schedule, his workload and what is going on. You have to look at a bigger plan sometime. I know our bowlers do as well," Khawaja said.

Khawaja acknowledged that managing a player's workload is crucial, especially considering Shaheen's previous injury during the World Cup, which required him to be sidelined for a period.

"Shaheen had that injury in the World Cup and he was out for a little while and has comeback after that. Test cricket isn’t easy on the body. Before I comment on anything like that, I would like to know all the facts regarding how they are trying to manage Shaheen," Khawaja added.

Highlighting the challenges Test cricket poses on a player's body, Khawaja refrained from passing judgment without a comprehensive understanding of the facts surrounding Shaheen's management.

Despite the decision to rest Shaheen, Khawaja recognized that occasional sacrifices might be necessary for long-term player well-being and performance.

"When I see something like that, I don’t see it as they [Pakistan] are doing it because they don’t care about Test cricket. He [Shaheen] is such a valuable bowler to Pakistan. He is Pakistan’s best bowler and you need to make sure that he is on the park for as long as he can and for the most amount of Test matches he can play. But sometimes, you might have to sacrifice something here and there," he concluded.