Even in his departure - perhaps especially in it - Shoaib Akhtar can't help but be the centre of attention. Before Thursday, Pakistan's game against Australia was all about Pakistan's game against Australia: who will top the group, will Pakistan change their opening partnership, will they be able to handle Australia's pace, will history play a role in Pakistan breaking Australia's unbeaten streak, given that they remain the last side to beat them in a World Cup match (at Headingley in the previous century, 1999)?
All this remains relevant but also irrelevant because the answer most people want is whether or not Shoaib will get a chance to play another game in this tournament. He was dropped - not rested - for the game against Zimbabwe and the concerns about his fitness, retirement or not, remain. Shahid Afridi rarely reveals his hand publicly and he seemed in a particular hurry today, so the question remained, essentially, unanswered.
On fitness, on a guarantee of ten overs and younger legs in the field, Wahab Riaz retains his place in the XI from the last game. On emotion - and the management is not particularly keen to let that get in the way - and the believable prospect of a game-changing over or two, Shoaib might sneak in. If Afridi was leaning anywhere between ruling him in and ruling him out, it appeared to be towards the latter. Maybe: "As for future games, let's look at the combination. If he is needed we will definitely use him," was all he would say.
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