Shaheen Afridi May Miss Bangladesh Tests for Childbirth

Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Afridi is facing a potential absence from the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh due to the impending birth of his first child. Afridi and his wife Ansha, who tied the knot last year, are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their bundle of joy.

Pakistan's red-ball coach, Jason Gillespie, has indicated that Afridi may miss the Test series to be with his wife during this special time. "Shaheen can miss Bangladesh Test matches due to childbirth. We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then," Gillespie said, as quoted by Geo News.

Afridi's absence would be a significant blow to Pakistan's Test team, as he is one of their most potent bowlers. The left-arm pacer has been in impressive form lately, taking 18 wickets in the recently concluded Test series against Sri Lanka.

However, Afridi's personal life has also been in the spotlight recently, with reports surfacing about his alleged misbehavior with Pakistan coaches. During Pakistan's T20I tour of England, Afridi reportedly had heated arguments with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf.

Sources informed Geo News that Afridi and Yousuf exchanged heated words, but the pacer later apologized to him. Multiple sources within the Pakistan cricket team management confirmed that the issue was resolved quickly.

A source recalled the incident, stating that the heated exchange occurred during a training session when Yousuf pointed out Afridi's no-balls. Afridi reportedly became furious after being repeatedly called out for his no-balls.

"Shaheen said to Mohammad Yousuf to let him do what he was doing, and he [Yousuf] should mind his own business," a source told Geo News, adding that Yousuf responded that he was a coach and doing his job.

Despite these off-field distractions, Afridi remains a key player for Pakistan. His absence from the Bangladesh Test series would be a major setback for the team, but it is understandable that he would want to be present for the birth of his first child.

Pakistan's next white-ball series will begin in November against Australia. Before that, they will engage in red-ball cricket in a two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which will kick off on August 21.

Tags: #ShaheenAfridi, #PakistanCricket, #BangladeshTestSeries, #Childbirth, #MohammadYousuf