T20 World Cup 2022: Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman join Pakistan squad ahead of warm-up game against England

Pakistan will kick-start its 2022 T20 World Cup campaign against the arch-rivals India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23 (Sunday). Ahead of their all-important match, the Men in Green are boosted by the return of their express pacer Shaheen Afridi. 

Shaheen along with Pakistan's senior batter Fakhar Zaman joined thecamp in Brisbane on Sunday. To note, Shaheen has been out of action for some time due to injuries. However, he has now joined his teammates after fully recovering from his knee issue. 

Afridi will be available for selection for the practice game against England

Pacer Afridi is available for selection for the warm-up game against England at the Gabba in Brisbane. While the left-arm pacer is declared fit to play in the warm-up matches, Zaman has not received a green signal as yet and he is expected to continue his rehabilitation in the build-up to the tournament. 

Speaking at the World Cup press conference, Pakistan skipper Babar confirmed that Afridi is fully fit and will be seen in action against India "Definitely. Shaheen and Fakhar (Zaman) have come back. We have six days for the first match, so we will utilize these warm-up matches. Shaheen is fully fit and dedicated to giving his 100 percent. So, we are looking forward to seeing him play," Babar said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan bounced back well and came on top against New Zealand and Bangladesh to win a tri-series played recently, which came after losing a seven-match T20I series against England at home. However, going into the competition, Pakistan has its own set of problems as their middle order looks pretty weak and this certainly is an area of concern for them.