Shahid Afridi has been recalled to the Pakistan squad ahead of the third and final Test against Australia at Sharjah on Saturday, as a replacement for the injured Abdul Razzaq. Though an integral member of their one-day team, Afridi has played in only 14 Tests for Pakistan, scoring 780 runs and taking 21 wickets. But his aggression will help to shore up a side that capitulated woefully in the second match, slumping to consecutive totals of 59 and 53 all out. After Razzaq's wrist was broken by a ball from Brett Lee, four of Pakistan's remaining five batsmen - Imran Nazir, Taufeeq Umer, Misbah-ul-Haq and Faisal Iqbal – had a combined total of 26 Test caps between them. The experienced Yousuf Youhana was the first-choice replacement, but he is himself still suffering from a shoulder injury suffered in a one-day tournament in Morocco in August.

"We didn't press for his inclusion because we want to make sure that he is fit for the long term," said Richard Pybus, Pakistan's coach. "Considering the long South African tour ahead, it would be appropriate to consider him for that tour. It makes more sense. Shahid's inclusion will strengthen the team as he is an aggressive competitor."

Aggression was certainly to the fore in the Pakistani camp. Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and Chishty Mujahid may have resigned in the wake of that second Test humiliation, but the PCB was in a particularly bullish mood. They started by refusing to bring the third Test forward to allow Australia extra time to prepare for the Ashes, then Pybus launched an extraordinarily optimistic counterattack, accusing Australia of being a team at the end of an era.

"It will be easy for them to be comfortable after beating us, but in the Australian camp they will know that all is not well," said Pybus. "The Waugh brothers look like they are under a tremendous amount of pressure." He added that the selectors had to think about blooding new players or risk the team becoming stale.

"The Waugh brothers score in particular areas, if you shut down those areas it makes life very difficult. When you get limited in certain areas you start to lack trust in your judgement and it becomes a different place out in the middle.

"Combine that with the fact they are coming towards the end of their careers when a player asks the question - where to from here? - you start to get a split focus. You can't have a dual focus - you have to have a single focus and that is scoring runs."

The pair have managed just 88 runs between them in six innings, including three ducks.

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