T20 World Cup 2022: “Unfortunate that Pakistan took such a big risk with a world-class bowler like Shaheen Afridi” - Salman Butt lashes out at PCB over selection gamble

Salman Butt has criticized the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for risking Shaheen Afridi at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022, despite the left-arm pacer not having completely recovered from his knee injury.

Shaheen was cleared to fly to Australia ahead of the ICC event after completing his rehabilitation program under the supervision of the medical staff. However, he has clearly not looked at his threatening best. In three matches, he has only managed one wicket.

Questioning the move to rush Shaheen back into the game, Butt said on his YouTube channel:

“When you don’t foresee the right things, this is what happens. When your mindset is like let’s just get through this somehow, that is when such things happen.

"The World Cup keeps happening every two years. Players’ careers need to be looked at. It is unfortunate that Pakistan took such a big risk with a world-class bowler like Shaheen Afridi.”

The former Pakistan captain also took a jibe at the team management for drafting batter Fakhar Zaman into the 15-member squad despite his knee injury. The 38-year-old commented:

“They took Fakhar for just one match. Usman Qadir also lost his World Cup opportunity. They had Usman in the reserves, but they then went for a wicketkeeper as a replacement (for Fakhar). Amazing (taunting tone)."

Mohammad Haris has been named as Fakhar’s replacement in Pakistan's 15-member squad for the remainder of their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign. Haris, 21, has represented the country in four ODIs and one T20I to date.

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What Pakistan’s team doctor said about Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi’s fitness status

Prior to Fakhar being ruled out, Pakistan’s team doctor Najeebullah Soomro admitted they were aware of the risks of picking the batter for the T20 World Cup. Making a candid admission, he was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo:

"Obviously with any knee injury it takes time to have 100% recovery. Fakhar and the team understood the risks of coming into the tournament and we got him in. You saw how he performed with batting in the last match, unfortunately in the last match he had a bit of a twist which aggravated his injury.

"We were aware of the risks of the comeback. He is obviously an important player for the team. The player, the medical staff and the team management were aware of that. We decided to bring him back in. In cricket, and any sport, we take risks. Sometimes they pay off, sometimes they don't."

Soomro, however, claimed that, in Shaheen's case, the fast bowler was medically fit to return to cricket. He explained:

"There's medical fitness, then in matches you need to have a different form of performance attributes. From a medical point of view we were confident he was completely fit. You can see how he's improving every single game…from our point of view we are very confident with how he's going.”

Amid all the noise over Shaheen and Fakhar’s fitness issues, Pakistan will take on South Africa in a must-win Super 12 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday, November 3.