Pakistan Fast Bowler Shaheen Afridi Speaks About His World Cup Injury

The men in green last year missed out on winning 2 multinational tournament trophies. One of the main reasons why Pakistan suffered was because their primary fast bowler Shaheen Afridi was out of action for a long time. Last year during the Sri Lanka test, Shaheen Afridi hurt himself badly. It took him a long time to recover and regain match fitness. However, the player, despite not being at his best, participated in the T20 World Cup.

There were mixed reactions from the experts on Afridi’s participation in the T20 World Cup. Throughout the competition, Shaheen Afridi was not 100% fit but his injury aggravated in the finals against England. The men in green had put up a target of 138 runs for the ODI World Champions to win. During the 13th over of the second innings, Shaheen Afridi hurt his knee and was out of the ground for the rest of the game.

“If I didn’t get injured at such a crucial moment, maybe we could’ve won,” says Shaheen Afridi

In a recent discussion, Shaheen Afridi opened up on his knee injury. The player acknowledged that had he not been injured, he was confident that Pakistan would have won the trophy. “Obviously, it’s every player’s dream to win a World Cup for his country. And in this tournament (2022 T20 World Cup), if I didn’t get injured at such a crucial moment, maybe we could’ve won. Maybe if I had stayed fit and bowled… Injuries can happen at any time. If I think too much about them then I won’t be able to move ahead,” he said.

Shaheen Afridi further spoke about a dip in his pace. The left-arm pacer explained that while pace was crucial, it wasn’t everything and the main aim was to pick up wickets for his team. “Everyone has a view about it [the pace], but I’ve been feeling good. I give 100% in the field, that matters more. Speed doesn’t matter as much but if there has been a dip, it will improve with time,” Shaheen Afridi said. The 23-year-old pacer missed the Asia Cup last year but this time will be part of the squad. A final decision on the Asia Cup venue will be available in the upcoming week. With India later hosting the ODI World Cup, ACC’s decision will be detrimental in handling the relations between the two sides.