Shaheen Afridi eyes landmark as Pakistan aims to bounce back in Tests.
Pakistan will start their 2024-25 Test season at home against Bangladesh, hoping to recover from their 0-3 series defeat in Australia. The opening match will be played in Rawalpindi from August 21.
Star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi needs nine wickets in the two Tests to become the first Pakistani bowler with 100 wickets in the World Test Championship. He currently has 91 wickets from 24 Tests.
Only R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja, Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood have crossed the 100-wicket mark so far in WTC.
Captain Shan Masood and vice-captain Saud Shakeel also have a chance to complete 1,000 WTC runs during the series home. Masood requires 15 runs while Shakeel needs 33 to reach the milestone.
The home matches provide Pakistan a chance to recover from their below-par T20 World Cup showing and boost their chances of reaching the 2025 WTC final. Another loss could derail their World Test Championship campaign.
Naseem Shah’s return from injury is also keenly awaited after he last played Tests in July 2023 against Sri Lanka.
