Presence of fast bowler Shaheen Afridi in WC is expected as he has recovered quickly from a knee injury and will be “battle-ready” for the T20 World Cup opener against archrivals India this month, according to PCB chief Ramiz Raja.
Shaheen Afridi has been out of action since suffering a ligament injury to his right knee in a test match in Sri Lanka in July, missing the Asia Cup as well as the home series against England. “I spoke with Shaheen… and he stated he hadn’t felt this wonderful in ages.” So far, progress has been made,” Raja told a local TV program.
“He claimed he’d be battle-ready shortly, which is wonderful news for us.”
The 22-year-old pace spearhead for Pakistan, his explosive speed and ability to generate bounce and deliver pin-point yorkers making him a fearsome bowler. Raja stated that they did not want to rush the left-arm bowler back into play due to the severity of his knee injuries.
“A knee injury is a complicated and delicate matter,” the former Pakistan captain explained. “We felt that we wouldn’t take the chance until he was 110% fit.”
“During our conversation, Shaheen Afridi remarked, ‘I’m already 110%, so don’t worry.’ I’ll play some practice matches as well and be ready for the match versus India.”
Earler today, Captain Babar Azam’s half-century inspired Pakistan to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the Twenty20 international tri-series in Christchurch on Saturday.
Babar rode his luck to 79 off 53 balls as his team took command of the series after a 21-run win over Bangladesh on Friday.
New Zealand’s 147-8 after winning the toss appeared insufficient, and Babar’s knock eliminated any chance of victory, propelling the tourists to 149-4 with 10 balls to spare.
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