Former Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir has attributed the recent struggles of Shaheen Shah Afridi to poor workload management, suggesting the left-arm pacer has paid the price for being overused across formats during the early years of his career.
Amir made the remarks shortly after Shaheen was omitted from Pakistan’s Test squad for the ongoing series against the West Indies, a decision that further intensified discussions surrounding the pacer’s form and fitness.
Once regarded as the spearhead of Pakistan’s bowling attack in all formats, Shaheen has found life difficult in red-ball cricket since returning from a serious knee injury in 2023.
The left-armer has managed just 27 wickets in 16 Test innings during that period, averaging 40.11 with a strike rate of 67.6. His performances during Pakistan’s 0-2 Test series defeat against Bangladesh also came under scrutiny, particularly due to a noticeable drop in pace, with the fast bowler frequently operating in the mid-120 km/h range.
Speaking on The Scoop by Wisden, Amir said he had foreseen such challenges several years ago and had publicly warned that excessive workload could eventually affect Shaheen’s effectiveness.
According to the former Pakistan pacer, continuous cricket across formats without proper management can have a long-term impact on a fast bowler’s pace, consistency and overall fitness.
“If you go on Google or YouTube, you can watch the video,” Amir said.
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“I gave an interview in 2020 or 2021 about Shaheen Afridi because these things happened with me. I told the media that you guys keep playing Shaheen Afridi; the time will come when he will struggle.”
Mohammad Amir added that the signs of fatigue and decline are now becoming visible despite Shaheen Afridi still being in the early stages of his career.
“He will struggle with the pace, with the consistency, with fitness, everything. And now you can see he’s struggling by far. He’s still young; he should be on top, but he’s struggling. So there is something wrong. And the main thing is workload management. That’s the main problem,” he said.
Statistics underline the heavy workload Shaheen carried before his injury setback. Between his international debut and the knee injury he suffered in July 2022, the left-arm pacer bowled 809.4 overs in Test cricket, the highest among all Pakistan bowlers during that period.
Former leg-spinner Yasir Shah was second on the list with 606.2 overs, while Hasan Ali was the next-highest fast bowler with 427.3 overs, highlighting the significant burden placed on Shaheen’s shoulders.
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