Former PCB medical chief criticises medical panel for putting Shaheen Afridi’s career at risk

At the MCG, England defeated Pakistan in the T20 World Cup 2022 final match, however Pakistan put up a good fight despite scoring a low score. They strongly desired that their top pacer Shaheen Afridi bowl his entire allotment, but this did not happen and it became a subject of debate after the final.

Afridi was spotted in severe pain when he injured his knee while attempting a running catch to knock Harry Brook.

Shaheen returned to bowl after the impact, but he was only able to produce one delivery, which was far from his best effort.

The fast bowler entered the World Cup after undergoing an expedited recovery from a knee ligament injury he sustained in July. Experts in medicine say that if he experiences another fright during the final, his career, at the age of only 22, may be in jeopardy.

“If the injury doesn’t result in more injuries, it would take Shaheen three to four months to recover,” former Pakistan Cricket Board chief medical officer Dr Sohail Salim told Dawn.

“If the PCB’s medical board chooses to treat it through surgery, Shaheen will be out for six, seven months.”

In any case, Shaheen’s expected absence from two major upcoming home Test series versus England and New Zealand, according to Sohail, raises concerns about the effectiveness of the PCB’s existing medical team.

“An inquiry should be held to determine if the PCB medical panel went wrong in their approach to treat Shaheen’s injury,” said Sohail.

Shaheen may become available again soon, however, Sarfraz Nawaz, a former fast bowler for Pakistan, regretted the PCB’s selection of the pacer for the World Cup team despite the fact that he had not had any match practise beforehand.

“You have put him in directly in the high-profile World Cup without him playing any match since July,” Sarfraz told Dawn.

“His fitness could have been better judged if he played a game before the World Cup and he shouldn’t have been selected without proving it.”

Sarfraz believed the tri-series in New Zealand ahead of the T20 showpiece was a good chance to test Shaheen.