SHAHEEN AFRIDI INJURY UPDATE: Undoubtedly, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has had a horrendous 2022. He has been plagued by injury issues that have kept him away from the 22 yards. Somehow, Shaheen recovered and resumed his normal job at the recently concluded T20 World Cup, but in the final match against Jos Buttler's England, he looked in utter discomfort as he limped his way back towards the Pakistan dressing room. Many believed that Shaheen walking away worked in England's favour, but as of now, things look pretty bleak and unsure for the left-arm pacer.
Shaheen who has been jolted by an ACL knee injury missed a lot of cricket this year. He was ruled out just before the Asia Cup started to get up & running for the all-important T20 World Cup. Afridi had a stellar 2021 T20 World Cup, but this time around he had a pretty lackluster outing and failed to contribute to his team's cause. After the sensational India vs Pakistan match that was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on October 23, 2022, former India skipper Virat Kohli said that he felt Shaheen wasn't a hundred percent and that gave him a chance to attack him. Former Pakistan skipper, Shahid Afridi has now opened up on Shaheen's fitness and has hinted at the real reason behind his ongoing tussle with injuries.
Shahid Afridi said:
I think he is still on rest and trying to recover. He went through rehab for the same knee and after all the hardwork, the knee went through all the hard grind, so I feel, he is on rest as of now. I am afraid to say it, but it will take some time and we'll have to be patient. He still needs to treat it for 3 to 4 months and he needs to be extremely careful this time around. I don't think he was half-fit in the World Cup. The problem started after he attempted Harry Brook's catch in the final. The Pakistan Cricket Board & the management have to treat it extremely cautiously. There has been useless debate about his fitness in the World Cup.
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After the World Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board issued a press release which stated that Shaheen felt discomfort due to a forced knee flexion whilst landing. As per the latest update, the speedster has been ruled out of the international stage till April 2023. As of now, he will undergo a rehabilitation and conditioning program at the National High Performance Centre which has been specially designed to strengthen his knee.
