Asia Cup 2022: “Had told him not to dive, but realized he is also Afridi” - Shahid Afridi on Shaheen’s injury

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has stated that he told Shaheen Afridi not to dive while fielding as he might get injured. He, however, added that he later realized Shaheen is also an ‘Afridi’.

Left-arm pacer Shaheen has been ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE due to a knee injury. He hurt himself while fielding in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month and has been out of action since.

On Sunday (August 21), former Pakistan all-rounder Afridi took part in a Q&A session with fans on Twitter. A user asked him if he could come out of retirement since Shaheen is injured. Afridi replied:

“Mene us ko pehle b mana Kia tha k dive mat maray, injury ho sakti hai, ap fast bowler ho. Lekin bad me mene realise Kia k wo b Afridi hi hai (I had told him [Shaheen] not to dive since he is a fast bowler and diving could cause injury. But later I realized that he is also an Afridi.)”

Releasing an official statement on Saturday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the fast bowler would be unavailable for the Asia Cup as well as the home series against England. However, he is likely to be fit for the T20 World Cup in Australia, which will be held in October-November.

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“His absence definitely makes a difference” - Salman Butt on Shaheen Afridi

Sharing his thoughts on the injured fast bowler, another former Pakistan captain, Salman Butt, admitted that the team would miss him since he is their best bowler.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, he opined:

“Shaheen’s presence increases Pakistan’s strength. Shaheen is one of our best players, like (Jasprit) Bumrah is for India. Every team has their best bowler, and for Pakistan it’s Shaheen. He stands out because of his skills and his absence definitely makes a difference. As a result, it acts on everybody. It leaves a mark on the whole team.”

Opening up after being ruled out of the Asia Cup, Shaheen took to Twitter and asserted:

“Every player of our playing 11 is a match winner. Wishing my team the best of luck for upcoming Asia Cup. To the fans, keep me in your prayers for my quick recovery. I'll be back soon Inshallah.”

Pakistan will begin their Asia Cup 2022 campaign by taking on India in Dubai on August 28.