Shaheen Afridi likely to miss England, New Zealand home series after aggravating knee injury in T20 World Cup final

Pakistan's defeat to England in the 2022 T20 World Cup final at the MCG has proved to be a double whammy for the Asian side as they face the prospect of losing fast-bowling sensation Shaheen Afridi to a lengthy injury layoff. The left-arm pacer injured his right knee during the summit clash on Sunday while claiming a catch. He is set to miss the impending home series against England and New Zealand, commencing next month.

Shaheen Afridi made his return to cricket in the recently concluded T20 World Cup in Australia after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an injury he sustained during his side's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July. However, the pacer was slow off the blocks in the first two matches of the competition before regaining his form with the ball.

Unfortunately, the left-arm pacer has seemingly aggravated that earlier injury while completing a brilliant catch to dismiss England's Harry Brook in the finale. He limped off the ground, failing to complete his full quota of overs, and was seen in great discomfort on the sidelines. His injury proved to be a decisive factor in the match as Jos Buttler's England got home in a canter to lift their second T20 title.

Haris Rauf is set to make his Test debut, replacing the injured Shaheen Afridi

Afridi's injury seems severe as his right knee was seen in a brace. Pakistani speedster Haris Rauf is expected to make his debut in red-ball cricket, replacing his injured teammate. There has been no official announcement yet regarding his injury, as the PCB is currently assessing the severity of the injury before providing more updates on his misfortunes.

Earlier, Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sohail Salim reckoned that the team management rushed the young pacer before assessing his injury properly. 

“If the injury doesn’t result in more injuries, it would take Shaheen three to four months to recover. If the PCB’s medical board chooses to treat it through surgery, Shaheen will be out for six, seven months. An inquiry should be held to determine if the PCB medical panel went wrong in their approach to treat Shaheen’s injury," Dr. Sohai told The Dawn after the T20 World Cup 2022 final.