Shaheen Shah Afridi sustained a knee injury while fielding for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). Following the blow, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called Shaheen for treatment and rehabilitation at the High Performance Centre in Lahore
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pic: File Pic)
Pakistan's star left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will return home from Australia on Wednesday. With this, his availability in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 is also uncertain.
The pacer sustained a knee injury while fielding for Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL). Following the blow, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has called Shaheen for treatment and rehabilitation at the High Performance Centre in Lahore.
He has struggled in his maiden appearance in the BBL, having spent a long time out from cricket in 2021-22 after undergoing knee surgery following an injury while fielding in a Test in Sri Lanka.
A PCB official said that Shaheen had been called back after discussions with Cricket Australia (CA), as the initial feedback was that he required complete rest and time to recover from the injury.
He said that the seriousness of the injury and the potential timeline for recovery will be determined after his meeting with the board's doctors.
Speaking about his situation, the pacer has expressed disappointment, according to a release by the BBL franchise and is also hopeful of returning to action as early as possible.
"I have enjoyed myself a lot playing for Brisbane and I am sad that I will not be able to finish the season with the team," he said in a statement released by the BBL side.
"Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon," he wrote.
He represented the Brisbane Heat in the four matches of the ongoing edition of the BBL. The pacer claimed two wickets with an average of 76.50. In his first match, he was taken off the attack after bowling two full-toss deliveries.
Shaheen was not included in the Pakistan squad for a three-match T20I series in Sri Lanka (January 7-11) even before he sustained the injury.
The "Green Shirts" have been placed in Group A along with teams such as India, Namibia, the Netherlands, and the USA. They will begin their campaign by playing a clash against the Netherlands on February 7 at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Sri Lanka.
The high-octane clash of the marquee event between arch-rivals, India and Pakistan, is scheduled to be played on February 15 at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo.
(With PTI Inputs)
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