![Shaheen Afridi returns to nets after BBL injury [Source: IsThatMaaz/X.com]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1768552370902_ShaheenAfridiAsiaCup.jpg?type=hq)
Shaheen Afridi returns to nets after BBL injury [Source: IsThatMaaz/X.com]
Pakistan's pace bowling spearhead Shaheen Afridi, whose knee injury late in December put him out of action for a couple of weeks, is now raring for a full-fledged return to the field after he was seen bowling in the nets at the National Cricket Academy, as updated by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
The left-arm quick had suffered this injury in the 12th over of the Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers match in Brisbane, where his team was eyeing to defend 180 rubs ub the second innings. Having bowled 3 overs for 0/26, the pacer was seen hobbling off the field before eventually getting ruled out of the competition early in the season.
Shaheen likely to be back for T20 World Cup
As revealed by the player a week ago, the knee injury that cut short his BBL was not as serious as it looked from the outside and he aims to make a brisk recovery, with the T20 World Cup in sight. Previously, the player had also gone through a long-term Posterior Cruciate Ligament (PCL) injury back in 2022, which kept nagging him for a considerable amount of time despite his return.
Currently, his rehabilitation is on schedule, and he is physically able to put all the load on his knees while bowling in the nets, as per the video shared by the PCB.
The Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup is yet to be announced, but it is likely that most players who faced Sri Lanka in the recently concluded T20I series will be retained for the mega competition, alongside the inclusion of Afridi as the lead bowler.
Shaheen's form central to Pakistan's T20 World Cup chances
The 25-year-old will be one of the most important figures in Pakistan's playing XI in the competition, considering his experience and the responsibility to set the tone for his team early on in the powerplay and bowl tough overs at the death.
Before his BBL stint abruptly ended, he played 4 matches for the Heat and only got 2 wickets at an economy rate of a whopping 11.19, averaging 76.50 in the season.
However, before BBL, he played two matches in the tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at home and picked 4 wickets at the back of a successful Asia Cup, where he finished the tournament with 10 scalps as second highest wicket taker after 7 outings, at a reasonable economy rate of 6.60. How he fares in his 4th T20 World Cup could define his team's chances in the tournament.
Pakistan is a part of Group A in the T20 marquee event and will open their campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, followed by the game against the USA on the 10th at the same venue, Colombo (SSC). They also go head-on against the arch-rivals India on February 15 at Colombo (RPS) before finishing the group stage vs Namibia on February 18 back in SSC.
