"No Replacement Requested for Afridi by Management Team" : Yawar Saeed by PakPassion.Net

Event:

DateLine: 18th July 2010

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed confirmed to PakPassion.net that a replacement in the Test squad for Shahid Afridi has not been requested by the tourists' management team.

Afridi tendered his resignation as captain after the defeat to Australia at Lord's and subsequently announced that the second Test match due to commence this Wednesday at Leeds would indeed be his last. However with Salman Butt being announced as captain and Afridi struggling due to a side strain, Afridi had a change of heart and stated that the Lord's test was his last as a Test player. The absence and unavailability of Shahid Afridi means that the Pakistanis are in effect a squad member light, but according to Saeed any replacement requests will not be made just yet.

"The Management team including myself, assistant team manager Shafqat Rana, coach Waqar Younis and captain Salman Butt decided against requesting a replacement for Shahid Afridi at this stage of the tour" stated Saeed.

"We will be travelling to Leeds tomorrow (Sunday) as a group of 16 available players for the second test match. We will of course assess the situation regularly and look at the fitness of the available players before making any decisions on suitable replacements. Who knows what may happen in future, it is difficult for me to say when any replacements may be requested. We may incur an injury or two, and if that is the case we will then look at the most suitable replacement(s)."

Speculation has been rife regarding the possibility of experienced middle order batsman Mohammad Yousuf joining the squad in England especially after the woeful batting display at Lord's. However given Saeed's comments it would seem that if Yousuf is to be recalled, it certainly will not be against Australia.