Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has said that he has no interest in dwelling on the past and that the squad’s sole focus now is winning the ICC World Test Championship (WTC).
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday, Shaheen said, “We are not satisfied with our recent Test performances and that the time had come to move forward with purpose.”
“The past is in the past. For me personally, I don’t want to remember what is in the past. Our goal is to look at the present and the future. Our goal is to win the WTC,” he said.
Shaheen acknowledged that the team should have done better in the series against South Africa, but said that experience had only sharpened the squad’s resolve. He stressed that improvement in Test cricket would have a direct knock-on effect across all formats.
“If our Test cricket is good, it will have a positive impact on our ODI cricket as well,” he said.
The left-arm pacer expressed confidence in Pakistan’s bowling resources, pointing to the experience and quality of Mohammad Abbas and Khurram Shahzad as key strengths heading into the series.
Shaheen also revealed that preparations for Test cricket never stopped, even during the Pakistan Super League (PSL). “Players were working on their Test cricket during PSL as well, and for the past week we have been in full Test match practice,” he said.
He added that head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed has made the message clear throughout the camp. “Sarfaraz bhai’s message is the same, we have to improve our Test cricket,” Shaheen said.
Looking ahead at a demanding schedule, Shaheen acknowledged that beating any team on home soil is a tough challenge, but said that Pakistan would approach the series with the bigger picture in mind.
“We are not thinking about just one series. We have the entire World Test Championship in front of us, and we hope to make the most of the conditions,” he said.
Pakistan face Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, with the first Test running from May 8 to 12 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka, and the second from May 16 to 20 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.
The series forms part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle, with Pakistan currently sitting fifth on the points table at 50 percent, while Bangladesh occupy eighth place at 16.67 percent.
