Pakistan have indicated that Abdullah Shafique will probably be banished from the slips in Sydney after his pricey drops behind the wicket cruelled Pakistan in Melbourne.
Shafique put down two important catches in Pakistan’s Boxing Day Check loss, together with a easy probability to take away David Warner early on the primary morning.
His miss on Mitch Marsh then proved extra important within the second innings, with the West Australian including 76 extra runs after being put down by the Pakistan opener.
Australia went on to win the Check by 79 runs.
Shafique was not within the slips when Pakistan returned to the sphere on Friday morning, with former skipper Babar Azam changing him within the cordon.
And it seems unlikely he’ll return to first slip for the third Check in Sydney, beginning Wednesday.
“Undoubtedly we noticed Abdullah wasn’t feeling comfy on the market,” coach Mohammad Hafeez stated.
“Clearly as a workforce, you all the time again your teammates if one thing will not be going nicely for him. However we made that call.
“If he isn’t feeling comfy, Babar is all the time a greater fielder so he ought to take that lead and go to the primary slip.
“Abdullah can also be an excellent fielder, however in some way he isn’t feeling assured as a slip right here.”
Hafeez conceded Pakistan ought to have entered the tour with proper cordon arrange, after Shafique additionally put down an vital catch early within the first Check in Perth.
“You are completely proper (we must always have had it proper),” he stated.
“As a fielder, he used to do slip fielding very nicely. However completely different situations may be disturbing him.
“I’ll nonetheless consider that he is an excellent fielder, however it may be the boldness went away.
“I do know as for those who as a slip fielder … as soon as that confidence goes away from you, you want somewhat little bit of time which we will certainly give.”
Hafeez was adamant after the Check Pakistan have been the higher facet, solely to be cruelled by what he labelled as “inconsistent” umpiring and the “curse” of video expertise.
However the vacationers desperately want to wash issues up at their very own finish, with 52 first-innings extras the second-most ever bowled by a workforce in Australia.