Why Did Shaheen Afridi Drop Abrar Ahmed For Haris Rauf In PAK Vs BAN 2nd ODI?

Abrar Ahmed dropped by Shaheen Afridi [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first in the second ODI against Pakistan at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, Dhaka. 

While the Bangladesh team management fielded an unchanged playing XI, the tourists made a bold change to their lineup, with Shaheen Afridi dropping Abrar Ahmed and bringing Haris Rauf as his replacement.  

Abrar Ahmed dropped for PAK Vs BAN 2nd ODI

Led by Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan had the worst possible start to the ODI series against Bangladesh. The Mehidy Hasan Miraz-led outfit swatted aside the visitors by eight wickets, securing a crucial 1-0 lead in the series. 

Batting first, Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals and were bundled out for 114 runs, courtesy of Nahid Rana's sensational bowling spell. 

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In response, the Tigers cruised to the target comfortably inside 16 overs, with Tanzid Hasan racing to a flamboyant half-century. 

While the Pakistan team management was expected to tweak the line-up a bit for the must-win second ODI, Abrar Ahmed was the only name from the existing set of players to miss out on selection. 

The Shaheen Afridi-led team has replaced the spin bowler with Haris Rauf, who warmed the bench in the series opener. 

Why did Shaheen Afridi drop Abrar Ahmed in PAK Vs BAN 2nd ODI?

Abrar's exclusion raised a million eyebrows, as he is the lead spinner of the Pakistan cricket team. However, the Shaheen Afridi-led Pakistani leadership group dropped him from the do-or-die match due to two key reasons. 

Abrar's expensive spell in PAK Vs BAN 1st ODI

While the Pakistani batters had a forgettable game in the series opener, Abrar Ahmed was taken to the cleaners, conceding 25 runs in his three-over spell. He failed to bag a single wicket in this match, eventually losing his place from the playing XI. 

The seam-friendly nature of Dhaka pitch

The pitch at Sher-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur offered significant assistance to the fast bowlers in the first ODI between Pakistan and Bangladesh. Nahid Rana made the most of the conditions, dismantling the tourists with a five-wicket haul. 

Considering the surface offered genuine pace and extra bounce, Abrar Ahmed's exclusion seems a strategic move by the Shaheen Afridi-led think tank. 

Additionally, Haris Rauf can be a genuine game-changer on Dhaka's spicy pitch, as he can trouble the Bangladesh batters with sheer pace and his ability to hit the deck hard. In 54 ODIs, Rauf has bagged 97 wickets at a strike rate of 27.1. 

PAK Vs BAN 2nd ODI playing XIs

Here are the playing XIs of Bangladesh and Pakistan for the second ODI at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. 

Pakistan Playing XI: Sahibzada Farhan, Shamyl Hussain, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Maaz Sadaqat, Abdul Samad, Hussain Talat, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf

Bangladesh Playing XI: Saif Hassan, Tanzid Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Litton Das (wk), Towhid Hridoy, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hasan Miraz (c), Rishad Hossain, Taskin Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Nahid Rana

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