Mohammad Hafeez, a former all-rounder for Pakistan, said that fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi should have been in London for treatment of his knee injury. The left-arm bowler missed the 2022 Asia Cup because of an injury he suffered on the Sri Lanka trip. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that the 22-year-old, who has been touring with the team, will be completing his rehabilitation in London.
According to the PCB statement from the Chief Medical Officer Dr. Najeebullah Soomro, Afridi would require regular, dedicated treatment from a knee expert. In a video that Hafeez shared on Twitter, he blasted PCB for managing Afridi improperly.
Hafeez said the Pakistan Cricket board's decision to delay in sending Afridi to London was "criminal."
Appearing on a private sports channel, Hafeez pointed to Afridi as "not just a Pakistani product, but an asset for the world" and a member of the Lahore Qalandars.
"My problem with Shaheen is that he is not just Pakistan's product but that of the world. The world wants to see him. We have to look after him in the right way.
"The things that I read and heard over the last few days, there was an official post. So this period of 4 weeks or six weeks or eight weeks since he got injured, I think wasting this time is a criminal act," Hafeez said.
“I feel they have now understood that and sent him to England,” Hafeez continued. “I feel they should have taken this decision when he got injured in the first place.”
Shaheen Shah Afridi is anticipated to play in Australia for the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
The 22-year-old pacer, together with skipper Babar Azam, is Pakistan's finest and most popular cricketer. He has emerged as Pakistan's starting bowler in all three forms in past years. He has proved to become first option to be selected in most of the Pakistan's international matches, giving the squad a real danger to steal wickets, particularly when the ball is new. He watched the nail-biter Pakistan versus India match on Sunday as an attendant.