Shaheen Afridi will miss the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates and the home series against England as he continues to recover from a knee injury.
Pakistan suffered a major setback on Saturday when their star pacer Shaheen Afridi was ruled out with an injury. Shaheen had already been absent from Pakistan’s ODI squad for the Netherlands tour, and Shadab Khan, Pakistan’s vice-captain on the tour, confirmed earlier on Saturday that the pacer will be out for 4-6 weeks. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stated that the pacer was “upset” with the development, and Shaheen could be seen reacting to fans in a video that went viral on social media following the confirmation.
In a video, the Pakistan pacer said, “Kya bas, kya karein ab. Dua hai,” to fans, following which a member from the crowd in Netherlands replies, ‘bada dukh hua.”
While the context of the conversation could not be determined, it was most likely about Shaheen being ruled out of the Asia Cup. Despite not being named to the squad for the Netherlands tour, the pacer accompanied the team to keep in touch with the national team’s physio.
“I have spoken with Shaheen, and he is understandably upset with the news,” Pakistan Cricket Board chief medical officer Najeebullah Soomro said in a statement.
“Despite making progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear that he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October.”
Pakistan will kick off their Asia Cup campaign in Dubai on August 28 against archrival India. Then comes a seven-match Twenty20 home series against England.