By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: With their sights set firmly on a World Test Championship final, Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has made one thing clear: the past is irrelevant. As the squad prepares to kick off their Test series against Bangladesh in Mirpur this Friday, Afridi insists the team is focused solely on building the momentum needed to climb the global rankings and shed their underdog status.
Talking to reporters in Dhaka, Afridi stressed that Pakistan’s ambitions extend beyond the immediate series with qualification for the WTC final a central goal.
“Our aim is not just one series,” Afridi said. “We are looking at the World Test Championship, how to reach the final and perform there. That’s our main target.”
Pakistan arrived in Bangladesh a few days ago after undergoing some solid training at Karachi under the supervision of new coaching staff.
The Mirpur wicket looks to have a grass on it and it may help seamers and it would be interesting to see how batsmen on both sides would tackle the expected tough conditions.
“Every team uses home conditions to their advantage,” Afridi said. “We did that in Pakistan with spin tracks. Here it looks different in Mirpur, but our bowlers are ready for the challenge and to make the most of it.”
Afridi added that Pakistan’s pace attack, including bowlers with county cricket experience like Mohammad Abbas, could play a decisive role if seam movement is on offer.
“Our goal as a bowling unit is simple: take 20 wickets and win matches,” he said.
Pakistan were beaten by Bangladesh in their previous Test meeting but Afridi made clear the squad is not looking back.
“The past is past,” he said. “We are focused on the present and how we prepare ourselves.”
In 2021-2022 tour of Bangladesh Pakistan had downed the hosts 2-0 in Test series. However, the Green-shirs lost to Bangladesh 2-0 at home series in 2024.
Overall, both nations have played 15 Tests against each other with Pakistan leading 12-2 with one Test ending in a draw in Khulna in 2015.
Afridi acknowledged, however, that Pakistan’s overall Test record in recent WTC cycles has fallen short of expectations.
“If you look at the standings, we are not satisfied,” Afridi said. “Finishing sixth, seventh or eighth is not where Pakistan cricket belongs. Our aim is to be at the top.”
Afridi also underlined the importance of Test cricket as the foundation for success across formats.
“If your Test cricket is strong, your white-ball cricket also improves,” he said.
Pakistan have recently undergone changes in their coaching set-up, with Afridi noting that having a familiar figure in charge in the shape of Sarfaraz Ahmad as head coach has helped communication within the squad.
“It makes things easier when the coach understands the players well,” he said. “There is better communication and clarity in planning.”
With a packed international calendar and players coming off domestic T20 commitments, Afridi said the team had made a conscious effort to stay prepared for the longest format.
“Even during T20 matches, we worked on our bowling workloads and preparation for Tests,” he said. “We tried to stay ready for this format.”
The two-Test series in Bangladesh marks an important early step in Pakistan’s WTC campaign, with Afridi emphasizing consistency as the key to achieving their long-term goals.
“If we play good cricket consistently, we can get the results we want,” he said.
Pakistan have played two Tests so far in the 2025-2027 World Test Championship cycle. They downed South Africa in the first Test by 93 runs at Lahore last October before going down in the second Test as Proteas won that at Rawalpindi by eight wickets.
Pakistan squad:
Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel. Babar Azam, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (wicket-keeper), Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Abbas, Khurram Shehzad, Amad Butt, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan
