Shahid Afridi defends Shaheen's injury break during T20 World Cup final
Shaheen got injured during the finals [Twitter]
Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar recently criticized Shaheen Afridi, for leaving the field with an injury during last year's T20 World Cup final against England. In the 13th over of England's run-chase, the southpaw caught Harry Brook and appeared to be in pain.
Shaheen left the field to receive treatment but returned after a few overs and even prepared to bowl the 16th over. However, he faced difficulties during his delivery stride and ultimately was unable to complete the over.
Speaking about the same in a local TV interview, Akhtar stated that Shaheen missed an opportunity to become Pakistan's biggest celebrity by not completing his over during a crucial moment of the match.
The former Pakistan quick also suggested that if he were in Shaheen's situation, he would have taken the opportunity to become the biggest celebrity of Pakistan by continuing to bowl despite his injury. He claimed that he would have been willing to fall and even break his knees but would have used injections to numb the pain and continued to bowl regardless.
In response, former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi who is also Shaheen's father-in-law, defended the pacer by suggesting that playing with an injury can be dangerous for a player's career and well-being. The former all-rounder playfully took a jab at Akhtar by stating that he took so many injections that he can no longer walk properly.
On a serious note, Afridi stated that not everyone can play like Akhtar, who is known for playing through injuries with the help of injections and pain-killers. According to the Pakistan veteran, playing despite injury can be a risky move, as it may worsen the injury. However, Afridi suggested that they should leave Akhtar alone.
The 22-year old seamer has since recovered from his injury and is currently leading Lahore Qalandars in the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League. The Qalandars have had a great start to their PSL campaign, having won two out of the three games they have played.
Notably, Shaheen was prolific in his side’s latest win over Quetta Gladiators where he led from the front, picking up three wickets for 22 runs in his four overs and claimed the ‘Player of the Match’ award.
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