Pakistan’a ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is key to the team’s chances at the T20 World Cup 2022 set to take place in Australia in months of October and November, has been undergoing a rehabilitation programme in London. He had injured his knee in a Test match vs Sri Lanka in later July and since then has missed Asia Cup 2022 and will miss the upcoming T20Is vs England at home. Pakistan Cricket Board was already criticised for delaying his departure to London to get him fit as soon as possible. Despite the injury., Shaneen continued to travel with the team as PCB wanted him to be under supervision of the team’s medical staff.
He travelled to the Netherlands for the 3 ODIs and then to UAE for Asia Cup as PCB hoped he would be able to recover in time. It was not to be. Rather, it worsened and then PCB announced that he would be out for 4 to 6 weeks and would travel to London for a rehab programme. Shaheen has been named in the T20 World Cup 2022 squad after he posted a video of a gym session in London and wrote that he is almost near to full-fitness.
PCB came under fire again when former Pakistan captain and to be father-in-law of Shaheen, Shahid Afridi said that the ace pacer is looking after himself on his own in London. Afridi said that even the doctor in London was arranged by him.
_ Shahid Afridi – “Shaheen Shah Afridi has gone to England on his own expenses. He is doing his rehab and coordinating with the doctors on his own. PCB is doing nothing.” #T20WorldCup
— Arfa Feroz Zake (@ArfaSays_) September 15, 2022
“He has flown out to the UK on his own ticket, he is staying there on his own money, I arranged a doctor for him there, he contacted him there, the PCB is not doing anything in all this. As far as I know he is doing everything about staying there and coordination with doctors.” That version has been confirmed to ESPNcricinfo by sources familiar with the situation,” Afridi was quoted as saying on ESPNcricinfo.
After Afridi’s comments, PCB released a statement in which they said they have contacted Shaheen and would bear all his expenses in he rehab programme.
