T20 World Cup 2022: Babar Azam-led Pakistan team is currently busy with a tri-series tournament that features New Zealand and Bangladesh. With the T20 World Cup just 8 days away, Pakistan have plenty of soul-searching to do, especially regarding their middle-order batting. To Pakistan's respite, Mohammad Rizwan looks in ominous touch, and Babar Azam too in some great form. But as far as the middle order is concerned, Pakistan will want to tick as many boxes as possible before they head into the global event.
For a long time now, pacer Shaheen Afridi's knee injury has been a cause of concern for the Pakistan cricket team. The spearhead who last played a Test match against Sri Lanka in July has been away from international cricket for over 3 months now. The left-arm pacer accompanied his team to the Netherlands and the Asia Cup, but could not play for his country as he was still nursing his knee injury. A few days back, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi dished out heavy criticism for the Pakistan Cricket Board and alleged that Shaheen paid for his treatment and his accommodation in London on his road to recovery. The PCB never acknowledged Shahid Afridi's allegations and maintained a deadly silence on this issue.
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Ahead of the T20 World Cup, PCB Chairman Ramiz Raja in a statement said
Thankfully Shaheen feels 110 percent fit for the T20 World Cup. Ahead of the India-Pakistan clash, Shaheen wants to play a couple of practice matches. He is doing everything at his disposal to be battle ready for the blockbuster match against India. The doctors have shared Shaheen's footage and reports and they look good. He has made a great recovery and that certainly is a positive sign.
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Pakistan will face India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23, 2022, in their opening game of the T20 World Cup.
