Wasim Akram responds to Shahid Afridi’s remarks on Shaheen’s recovery

Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is paying for his own treatment in England and is residing in the nation on his own money, according to Shahid Afridi.

The injury Shaheen got while fielding during the first Test versus Sri Lanka in Galle in mid-July forced him out of the second Test and ensuing ODI series in the Netherlands, as well as the Asia Cup in the UAE.

Almost there! In shaa'Allah. pic.twitter.com/UrNHnjHyEj

— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) September 12, 2022

Afridi has been out since the injury, with doubts raised over how the board managed his recuperation. He travelled to the Netherlands with the squad in August for a three-match ODI series with the hopes of recovering with on-tour therapy. That did not go as planned, as swelling on his knee worsened in the Netherlands, and the PCB stated that he would be sidelined for 4-6 weeks.

He was kept with the squad when they travelled to the UAE for the Asia Cup in an attempt to restart his recuperation. However, medical scans and reports indicated a posterior cruciate ligament damage, and it was finally determined that he would fly to the United Kingdom for additional rehabilitation and work with specialists on the PCB medical panel, Doctor Zafar Iqbal and Dr Imtiaz Ahmed.

“He flew to the UK on his own ticket and is staying on his own funds. I arranged for him to see a doctor there, he contacted him there, and the PCB is doing nothing in all of this,” Shahid Afridi told reporters.

“As far as I know, he’s doing everything he can to stay there and coordinate with physicians on his own,” he continued.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has responded to Shahid Afridi’s comments, in which he stated that pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi is paying for his own rehabilitation in England and is residing in the nation on his own dime.

The famed left-arm pacer remarked to a local news outlet: “If this is true, it’s quite startling. He is one of our best players and a box-office draw.”

“If PCB does not look after this child, and if what Shahid Afridi claimed is true, it is unjust,” Akram remarked. “He should have been immediately referred to the top knee surgeon in the world.” But he is doing everything himself, and I am still stunned by it,’ he continued.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued a statement late Thursday night, stating that the board would always be responsible for securing medical treatment for all of their players.

The PCB announced in an official statement, “The PCB is also glad to advise and update that Shaheen Shah Afridi is making fantastic progress in his rehabilitation in London and is on course to achieve a full recovery in time for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Australia 2022. It goes without saying that the PCB has always been and will continue to be responsible for arranging medical care and rehabilitation for all of its players who require treatment.”