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| October 15, 2002 | Tuesday | Sha'aban 8, 1423 |
Afridi recalled for third Test
SHARJAH (UAE), Oct 14: All-rounder Shahid Afridi has been called up to reinforce the injury-hit Pakistan team for the third Test against Australia, starting here Saturday.
He will replace Abdul Razzaq who has been ruled out for six weeks after fracturing his left wrist during the second Test in which Pakistan were bowled out for their lowest scores of 59 and 53 inside two days.
Initially, Yousuf Youhana was expected to beef up the team but he was ruled out as he failed to recover from a shoulder injury sustained during a triangular tournament in Tangiers, Morocco, in August.
Afridi, who has scored 780 runs in 14 Tests with two centuries and four half centuries besides taking 21 wickets, arrives Tuesday to join the team.
“Shahid has been included as reinforcement after Razzaq was ruled out,” Pakistan coach Richard Pybus said Monday.
“The team needed an experienced all-rounder and considering the conditions in Sharjah, it was a sensible thing to ask for Shahid as his inclusion would give the team another spin option,” Pybus said.
“Shahid’s inclusion will strengthen the team as he is an aggressive competitor,” the South African coach said.
On Youhana, Pybus said: “We were informed that he still has not fully recovered from the shoulder injury. We didn’t press for his inclusion because we want to make sure that he is fit for the long term.
“Considering the long South African tour ahead, it would be appropriate to consider him for that tour. It makes more sense,” Pybus said.
Meanwhile, Pybus threw a challenge to the Waugh twins, saying their time at the top was up.
Pybus suggested that even though Australia had wrapped up the series against his young team, the long-term problems lay in the rival camp — particularly with the Waugh brothers.
“It will be easy for them to be comfortable after beating us, but in the Australian camp they will know that all is not well,” he said.—Reuters/AFP
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