Shaheen Shah Afridi is on track to feature in next month’s T20 World Cup after medical assessments found his latest knee injury to be far less serious than previous ones that had sidelined him for extended periods.
Afridi cut short his Big Bash League (BBL) stint and returned from Australia earlier this year after injuring his right knee while playing for Brisbane Heat. With the T20 World Cup approaching, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) immediately began his rehabilitation process.
The fast bowler said his recovery is progressing well and confirmed that he expects to resume bowling next week. Speaking to reporters at a Lahore Qalandars talent hunt launch, Afridi said the PCB medical team is closely monitoring his rehabilitation.
He added that he is currently focusing on gym work and batting and described the injury as minor compared to his past knee issues. Afridi said the MRI report showed only slight swelling on the bone and indicated that the injury may heal within a week rather than taking a month.
Afridi referred to the serious injury he suffered to the same knee in 2022, when he damaged his posterior cruciate ligament while fielding in a Test match in Sri Lanka. That injury kept him out of action for nearly six months and ruled him out of the early stages of the T20 World Cup that year. Although he returned later in the tournament, he sustained another injury during the final, which prevented him from bowling at the death as England won the title.
During his BBL appearance this season, Afridi played four matches for Brisbane Heat, conceding 11.19 runs per over and taking two wickets. In his first match, umpires removed him from the attack for dangerous bowling after he delivered two waist-high full tosses. However, his form in international T20 cricket remained strong, as he finished last year as Pakistan’s third-highest wicket-taker, behind spinners Mohammad Nawaz and Abrar Ahmed.
Afridi was among several Pakistani players featuring in the BBL this season, alongside Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf, and Shadab Khan. Their performances varied, with Babar scoring two half-centuries at a strike rate of 111.96 for Sydney Sixers, while Rizwan struggled for strike rate at Melbourne Renegades. Rauf and Shadab enjoyed relatively better outings.
Commenting on the mixed performances, Afridi said players experience ups and downs in sport and stressed the importance of learning from overseas leagues to improve for national duty. He said success does not require match-winning performances in every game and emphasised that even senior players continue to work on improving their game.
Pakistan’s squad is currently in Sri Lanka for a white-ball series, which Afridi described as valuable preparation ahead of the T20 World Cup. Pakistan will play all their tournament matches in Sri Lanka, which will co-host the event with India.
Afridi, who was appointed Pakistan’s ODI captain last year, said the team has played quality cricket over the past year and added that playing matches in tournament conditions ahead of a major event always benefits players.
