Shaheen Afridi declared fit; will play against India in T20 WC 2022 

image-l8yla9vrShaheen Shah Afridi | PC: Twitter

Pakistan fast bowling spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, has been declared fit and he is all set to play the first game of the T20 World Cup 2022 against the arch-rivals India on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the Dawn reported.

Afridi had injured his right knee while fielding in the first Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle back in July. The left-arm pacer has since been sidelined. He traveled to London for rehabilitation and has reportedly declared fit ahead of the marquee event.

The 22-year-old also missed the entire Asia Cup 2022 owing to the same injury. He also missed the home series against England and is out of action from the tri-series being played in New Zealand currently. 

During an interaction with the Pakistan channel Dawn News, the PCB chairman, Ramiz Raja gave an update on Afridi's availability, stating he will be back in the setup for the showpiece event. 

However, there is bad news coming from the Pakistan camp as their leg-spinner Usman Qadir sustained a hairline fracture in his finger. 

Here's what PCB Chairman, Ramiz Raja said during an interaction with Dawn News. 

"Usman Qadir is injured, with a hairline fracture in a finger, we will see what option we have, Fakhar Zaman also getting better, I feel he can be very important, but it's a call of team management about him and X1."  

Big Relief for 'Struggling' Pakistan 

With Pakistan's ace pacer returning to the national side just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 after spending almost three months on the sidelines because of a knee injury, Babar Azam & Co. will be breathing a sigh of relief. 

With the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf leading the pace attack of Pakistan, the 'Men in Green' will fancy their winning chances in the gala event. 

Their arch-rivals India, on the other hand, jolted with a major blow ahead of the World Cup as their premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury. 

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is yet to announce the replacement for the star pacer. If reports are to be believed, the India management will name the replacement of Bumrah after the conclusion of the ongoing ODI series against South Africa.

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