'You’re going to wear him down at some point' - Gary Kirsten raises alarm about Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi's lack of workload management

Pakistan national team's white-ball coach Gary Kirsten has raised the alarm once again about fast bowler Shaheen Afridi's lack of workload management, which could negatively impact the player's career.

Several former Pakistan cricketers including Waqar Younis and Rashid Latif had raised similar concerns about the player in recent times, notably starting with his drop in pace.

Shaheen who was known for his express pace of bowling at a speed in the late 140 to early 150 kmph, has seen a drastic drop in his speed, with factors including injuries and excess workload possibly playing a role.

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"If he's not fit, if he's got some issues, I think he needs to go away from the game and fix that. Because, if you are just going to carry on like that, then you are gonna become a medium pacer. He used to bowl 145-150 [kmph], you know. What I am seeing right now is yeah, there's a little bit of swing there but his pace is way down," Waqar had said during Pakistan Test tour of Australia in 2023.

"How can Shaheen’s pace drop like this? It's the responsibility of the medical team to ensure our players are fully fit before they take the field," Latif had also questioned.

MORE: Has Shaheen Afridi's form dipped in Tests after knee injury? Stats show Pakistan star's drop in form since 2022

Pakistan Champions One Day Cup 2024: What did Gary Kirsten say about Shaheen Afridi's workload?

During Pakistan's Champions One Day Cup match between the Panthers and Lions, Kirsten who was in the commentary box raised the alarm regarding Shaheen's excess workload, which he believed could wear out the fast bowler sooner than later.

Shaheen who had bowled 9.5 overs for the Lions, finished with figures of 3/57 in the match.

"I saw a scary stat the other day that Shaheen Afridi in the last 18 months has bowled 3 times more overs than any other fast bowler in the world. That’s not good use of your resources. You’re going to wear him down at some point."

While the information and stat shared by Kirsten of Shaheen bowling "three times more overs" than any fast bowler in the "last 18 months" is not factually correct, he does indeed raise a good point.

Since 2021, Shaheen has bowled the most overs among Pakistan's fast bowlers, with a lead of bowling close to 500 more overs than the next person on the list, with both international and T20 leagues taken into account. 

MORE: Have India struggled against spin in Tests at home recently?

How many overs has Shaheen Afridi bowled in international cricket since 2021?

Since 2021, Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi has bowled the fifth most overs among all fast bowlers in international cricket, amounting to 1063.0 overs in approximately the last three years.

(Stats correct as of September 16, 2024)

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Has Shaheen Afridi bowled most number of overs among Pakistan fast bowlers in international and T20 leagues combined?

The below table shows how many overs each Pakistan fast bowler has bowled in international cricket, T20 leagues, and then both combined, for an overall record.

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It clearly highlights the issue of Shaheen's playing a lot of cricket without managing his workload when compared to the rest of his counterparts in Pakistan.

Unlike BCCI's approach of carefully monitoring lead bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the PCB have found it difficult to put tabs on Shaheen, who is Pakistan's premier fast bowler.

MORE: Shubman Gill to miss T20I series against Bangladesh

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