In a bid to continue his recovery from a knee injury, Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has landed in London and the country’s cricket board is optimistic of his participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in Australia later this year.
Earlier, feft-arm fast pacer Afridi had suffered the injury in Sri Lanka in June was ruled out of the ongoing Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) despite being named in the preliminary squad by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“Shaheen Afridi requires uninterrupted, dedicated knee specialist care and London offers some of the best sports medical and rehabilitation facilities in the world,” PCB chief medical officer Najeebullah Soomro said in a statement on Monday.
“In the best interest of the player, we have decided to send him there. The medical department will receive daily feedback on his progress … and we are confident Shaheen will return to full fitness before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” he added.
The PCB also said that a medical panel would determine when Afridi, 22, would return to competitive cricket.
Notably, Pakistan is scheduled to play seven T20 Internationals at home against England from September 20 and will later fly to New Zealand to play a tri-series also involving Bangladesh.
The Green Brigade will begin their T20 World Cup campaign at the T20 World Cup aginst arch-rivals India in Melbourne on October 23.