LAHORE: Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi started his bowling practice in London on Saturday, nearly two months since his injury and less than a month before the Twenty20 International World Cup in Australia.

The 22-year old shared a video of bowling with a short run-up, which indicates that the left arm quick has completed his rehab of the right-knee injury but still requires time to be back to his former self.

Shaheen sustained the injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle in July, after which the national team medical panel suggested Shaheen a rehab period of four to six weeks. It proved to be ineffective as he wasn’t able to recover and decided to continue his rehabilitation from England on Aug 29.

The national team’s medical panel had also counseled him to keep travelling with the team on its following tours of Netherlands and for the Asia Cup in the UAE. It is feared his travelling with the national team aggravated the injury’s problems.

Former Pakistan One-day International captain Shahid Afridi had also revealed in a TV interview that Shaheen was bearing the expenditure of his London’s visit on his own.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board denied it by saying there may be some confusion over the clarity, which suggested that Shaheen was getting treatment on his own, otherwise, the PCB was fully aware of its responsibility.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2022