Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt is not happy about pacer Shaheen Afridi’s participation in the County Championship. The fast bowler is representing Middlesex in the current season. He has signed up with the London-based club to play in the 2022 County Championship and plays his second match this week.
Talking about Shaheen Afridi’s county season, Salman Butt has said that with Pakistan having a busy international calendar including the Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup later this year, Butt believes that Shaheen put extra burden on himself unnecessarily, and instead suggests Shaheen to rest his body.
Butt on YouTube channel Cricketbaaz said that Shaheen is the country’s single best bowler in all three format and believes that the county cricket is not ideal for him. He added that Shaheen is not someone who doesn’t know how to bowl in England, so there is no reason to take a risk with such a bowler, especially when he needs rest before two World Cups in a year. He further added that there is also the Test Championships and Asia Cup which are important but county cricket is not important in Shaheen’s case.
“County cricket is not ideal for him. He is not somebody who doesn’t know how to bowl in England,” a part of his statement reads.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that Shaheen Afridi has made himself available to Middlesex for the entire season. He will be back in mid-July to join the international camp. The left-arm pacer has also decided to participate in the knockout stages, provided his team is ranked first.
Pakistan have to play their next series against West Indies in June, which was not completed last year. After this, in August, the team has to play a three-match ODI series against the Netherlands.