In what came as a major setback for Pakistan, ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi got ruled out of the upcoming Aisa Cup 2022 due to injury. On Saturday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement in which it was mentioned that the left-arm quick had suffered a right knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
“Afridi will also miss the home series against England but is expected to return to competitive cricket in October with the New Zealand T20I tri-series, which will be followed by the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022”, the statement further read.
Shaheen Shah Afridi injury update
Details here ⤵️ https://t.co/bDf5zvwLtl
— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) August 20, 2022
Meanwhile, a video surfaced on YouTube in which Afridi could be seen interacting with the fans in the Netherlands. When asked about being ruled out, the pacer said, “Kya bas, kya karein ab. Dua hai,” to fans, after which someone from the crowd replied, ‘bada dukh hua’.
Here’s the video:
As stated by the PCB, Shaheen will stay with the squad to complete his rehabilitation. The board also said that the replacement for the left-arm quick will be named shortly.
“I have spoken with Shaheen and he is understandably upset with the news, but he is brave young man who has vowed to come back strongly to serve his country and team. Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October.
“PCB’s Sports & Exercise Medicine Department will be working closely with the player over the coming weeks to ensure his safe return to competitive cricket,” PCB Chief Medical Officer, Dr Najeebullah Soomro said.
The Pakistan side will arrive in Dubai from Rotterdam on Monday and will begin preparations for the Asia Cup which begins on August 27. The Men in Green will begin their campaign against India on August 28 in Dubai.
It’s being speculated that in the absence of Afridi, the board could well recall right-arm pacer Hasan Ali, who was a notable omission when Pakistan’s squad for the Asia Cup was announced. Ali has been slightly off-colour since last year’s T20 World Cup and the selectors chose to leave him out of their initial Asia Cup plans when selecting their 15-player squad for the six-team tournament.
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