Shaheen Afridi has been left out of the Pakistan team for the second Test against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, beginning on August 30.
While Pakistan's head coach Jason Gillespie stopped short of saying he had been dropped, he said Afridi was "working on some things" to improve his effectiveness. Pakistan named a 12-man squad on the eve of the match, which included legspinner Abrar Ahmed and fast bowler Mir Hamza.
"Shaheen's missed out this game," Gillespie said. "We've had a good conversation with him, and he fully understands and appreciates the thinking behind it. Shaheen's been given some feedback. He's working on some things with his bowling to be as effective as he possibly can be. He's working really well with Azhar Mahmood. We want to see Shaheen at his best because we've got a lot of cricket in all formats and Shaheen's going to play a really big role in that."
Shaheen's form, particularly in Test cricket, has been a concern for Pakistan for nearly a year now. He averaged over 41 in pace-friendly conditions in Australia, and took two lower-order wickets for 96 in a forgettable showing in the first Test against Bangladesh. His pace, routinely in the mid-140 kph range earlier in his career, has also dipped since his most recent injury last year. While Afridi has attempted to downplay those concerns, his performances with ball have not followed.
Afridi also became a father last week and the fact that hasn't been offered as the main reason for his omission is the clearest evidence this is a drop rather than a rest.
"Shaheen's had an interesting last couple of weeks," Gillespie said. "He's a new father. We're seeing an opportunity where we're able to allow him to go and spend some time with his family as well."
While Abrar's inclusion in the starting XI is likely, after Pakistan's decision to pick an all-pace attack for the first Test backfired, Gillespie said the hosts had named 12 because of weather conditions in Rawalpindi. It has rained for much of the last three days, and with the pitch under covers, neither side has been able to get a close enough look at the surface. Training on Thursday was also cancelled due to the weather, with the press conferences held at the Serena Hotel, where the teams are staying, rather than the ground.
"We're looking at what our best combination is this game," Gillespie said. "We'll look at conditions and decide what the best makeup of our bowling attack looks like. We haven't been able to look at the surface much because of the weather, so we wanted to name 12. We want to be as informed as we possibly can before we select the side we think is best capable of taking 20 wickets."
Pakistan must win the second Test to draw the series, having suffered their maiden loss to Bangladesh in the format in Rawalpindi over the weekend.