Pakistan star players, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan will not be available for the inaugural season of cricket’s latest format, The Hundred. Both Shaheen and Shadab are expected to be a part of Pakistan’s squad for the team’s tour of the West Indies, which will effectively rule out their chances of participation in the tournament.
ALSO READ
Mohammad Hafeez Opens Up on Babar Azam’s Captaincy
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced that the Pakistan national team will be touring the Caribbean for a five-match T20I series and a two-match Test series in July and August. The revised schedule did not sit well with the cricketing fraternity as the board decided to replace one Test match with two T20Is, in light of the preparations for the upcoming ICC World T20 in October.
While Shaheen is expected to be a part of both the T20I squad and the Test squad, ruling him out of The Hundred, Shadab on the other hand might be available for the second half of the tournament if he is not selected for the Test squad.
Shadab is also currently recovering from an injury, which can impact his decision to participate in the tournament. The national team management will be hoping he fully recovers and regains his form before the start of the T20 World Cup.
ALSO READ
Australian Fast Bowler Who Played in PSL Charged with Child Sexual Offenses
Elsewhere, four West Indies players, Andre Russell, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran, and Sunil Narine, might also be unavailable for the tournament, provided they are selected for the national team.
Several Australian stars could also be ruled out due to scheduling conflicts, which is a huge blow for the inaugural edition of the league.
Another major reason that could hamper the quality of the tournament is the travel restrictions due to the global pandemic. The players would be required to quarantine for a set number of days upon their arrival to the country, which could have an impact on their participation in the tournament.
