Shaheen’s injury ‘not as serious as it was last time’, World Cup appearance on cards

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is expected to be part of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign next month, as his injury has been found not to be of a concerning nature. The 25-year-old pacer was called back from Australia after he hurt his knee while playing for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League.

Shaheen’s injury isn’t concerning

Having a history of injuries in his right knee, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) wanted to be extra cautious with Shaheen, and the nature of his injury was assessed immediately on his return. However, as confirmed by Shaheen himself, he is unlikely to stay out of the team for long.

"My rehab is ongoing, with the PCB team monitoring it," Afridi told reporters at a talent hunt launch event for Lahore Qalandars. "I'm doing gym work and working on my batting at the moment. I'll start bowling from next week.

"It's not as serious as it was last time. There's a bit of swelling on the bone. The MRI report wasn't that concerning. This might not take a month. It's more like a week."

The issue with his right knee began in 2022 when he picked up a ligament injury while fielding in a Test against Sri Lanka. The same injury kept him out of the team for nearly the entire remaining year, bar a few T20 World Cup games down under.

‘Babar is also human’

Pakistan are currently playing Sri Lanka in a three-T20I series, the first game of which they have won. Shaheen, who is not part of the series, was initially supposed to continue playing for his BBL team, along with most of his compatriots in the league, including Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, and Mohammad Rizwan.

Pakistan contributed the most players in the league this year, second only to England’s imports. The most touted of the players was, obviously, Babar Azam, who was roped in by the Sydney Sixers ahead of the draft. Babar’s form and runs have failed to match his popularity in the league. He has scored two fifties at a barely acceptable strike rate in five games. However, Shaheen thinks his teammate is learning his way out of the rough patch he is stuck in.

"There are always ups and downs in any sport," Afridi said. "But the aim is to learn from everywhere so that when you play for your country, you've improved. Our focus was that we see how we can improve when it comes to playing for our country, what errors can we rectify, what good things we can continue with. It's not necessary that you go there and take five wickets every game or score a 50 or 100 in every game. Babar is also human. Everyone is trying to improve."

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