Did Shaheen Shah Afridi miraculously recover from his BBL injury to be selected for the Pakistan T20 World Cup squad?

[Major]

During the BBL, it was reeported that Pakistani players wanted out, as their performances were not that good, whihc had led to a negative image of them on social media, thus leading to a possible ouster from the upcoming world t20 squad.

Shaheen has always been known as someone that cares about his image on social media. Shaheen was bashed around in the BBL which raised the question if he is any good for t20 and warrants a spot in the world t20. It came to no surprise that after he got hit around in a match in the BBL he claimed he got injured and sat out the match while his team needed him. Afterwards, Shaheen pulled out of the BBL and came back to Pakistan.

Now, all of a sudden, Shaheen is fit and has been selected for the World T20 squad.

 

[sweep_shot]

Not sure if he faked it.

Either way, it is good that he got some rest before the World T20.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

This is old news, we already knew this as soon as he stopped running after the ball.

 

[Savak]

What was his contract worth? He would happily let go off that money?

 

[SportsWarrior]

very good chance he faked it. His injury wouldn’t have let him come back this quick. Saw humiliation of his fellow players like Babar and Rizwan and decided he didn’t want to go through that. Good chance his father in law gave him the idea

 

[Sachin fan]

Not sure if he faked it.

Either way, it is good that he got some rest before the World T20.

And faking injury after taking money is the way to get rest?

Unprofessionalalism creeps into every aspect of your game and mentality.

Which is why Steve Smith despite being the best test bat of this generation still gives his all even in a BBL T20 match.

One is a mentality of a winner which seeps into every aspect of your life and every game you play. The other is a mentality of a loser.

 

[Devadwal]

Why would he fake an injury in a league where he gets paid?

 

[zahid01]

I don’t know why people make conspiracy theories and slander player without any evidence

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I don’t know why people make conspiracy theories and slander player without any evidence

Especially in this instance where it's very obvious BBL had no influence on selection or Haris Rauf may have been selected and Babar should have been dropped.

Nowadays players and boards are also happy to rest players on the potential of injury occuring and exacerbating.

For example India sometimes don't bowl Bumrah during matches or rest him in key series moments. The result becomes irrelevant and players health becomes important. There are many other examples across the world of fast bowler being handled in this way.

Given Afridis previous injury record he rightly pulled out.

 

[Wasim Ghulam]

Shaheen Performance has been downhill Since he became Damad G

 

[Sachin fan]

I don’t know why people make conspiracy theories and slander player without any evidence

So then it was a miraculous recovery in such a short period? Other countries should take the number of Afridis doctor.

 

[zahid01]

So then it was a miraculous recovery in such a short period? Other countries should take the number of Afridis doctor.

Depends on the seriousness of the injury sometimes precaution is needed to protect yourself from further aggravation accusing someone of faking an injury is another word you are calling them a cheat

 

[RidiculousMan]

During the BBL, it was reeported that Pakistani players wanted out, as their performances were not that good, whihc had led to a negative image of them on social media, thus leading to a possible ouster from the upcoming world t20 squad.

Shaheen has always been known as someone that cares about his image on social media. Shaheen was bashed around in the BBL which raised the question if he is any good for t20 and warrants a spot in the world t20. It came to no surprise that after he got hit around in a match in the BBL he claimed he got injured and sat out the match while his team needed him. Afterwards, Shaheen pulled out of the BBL and came back to Pakistan.

Now, all of a sudden, Shaheen is fit and has been selected for the World T20 squad.

 

[Duckworth Lewis]

The way he has been getting thrashed around by batsmen across the world including minnows since the 2023 Odi WC, he should hang his head in shame. At 10 kph slower than his 2021 peak, he is a nothing bowler. Despite getting hammered, he still thinks he is special. Confidence is good but this man needs to self retrospect.

 

[TheSultan]

The thing is every bowler thrashed, it’s the ease with which shaheen gets thrashed around. It’s almost as if the batsmen are free to choose their moment to smash him.

He just bowls some juicy deliveries.

He looks like cannon fodder.

I will not be surprised if he gets hit for 30 in one of his overs this tournament.

He backed out of BBL. If it was for his image, he should back out of this World Cup too. He may want to protect his ODI captaincy too. Please do us all a favour

I’ve said from the start, with the squad selected, Naseem and Salman should be the main pacers with Faheem as a backup.

We have far too many spinners. No team needs 5.

 

[pakistani pride]

He has become a joke, pathetic to see him in the playing 11 for Pak in a WC.
A shame as well as the team management picks him, that maybe is even worse!

 

[Major]

he faked an injury in bbl

 

[Chip32]

His fall off has been crazy. The bloke was on a superstar track from 2019-2022, and it’s been all downhill since.

It’s a shame he’s never sorted his issues out (and probably never will!) cos he’s easily the 2nd most gifted bowler this country has ever produced.

 

[Boom-Boom-Afridi-37]

It all went downhill after his injury T20 2022, his rehab was poor after that. Has never been the same since that fateful day, lost all his zip and movement. Such a shame as he was a genuine "premium" fast bowler before that:/

 

[G0rmintAunty]

It all went downhill after his injury T20 2022, his rehab was poor after that. Has never been the same since that fateful day, lost all his zip and movement. Such a shame as he was a genuine "premium" fast bowler before that:/

So it's all rehab's fault and none of his? What about his self responsibility? If he feels he can't give his 100% why not excuse himself from the national team, play the mickey mouse leagues all you want, you have mad enough money as it is. But no, all these players goals is to perform at the start and then just stop and regress once you have made it and become a shuperishtar. Phuppu ki team nahi hai ke jab dil chahe, khel liya.

 

[BouncerGuy]

TBH, Shaheen looks unfit still... He is nowhere near 100%... Not like Shaheen's form was too good but his fitness is nil... His technique has taken a hit as well.

 

[Major]

Shouldnt play today

 

[Savak]

He's dumb, not unfit. Batters know that he can only look to bowl full looking for that inswinging yorker. He has nothing else up his sleeve.

Sohail Tanvir rightfully criticized him recently ie he dumbly pitches the ball up, full even if the ball isn't swinging.

In comparison Bhumrah, Siraj take 2-3 deliveries to figure out that the ball isn't swinging and hence they pull back their lengths, bowl wicket to wicket with the fielder at square leg with the aim of bowling with discipline, to their field and keeping things tight

Shaheen has no such discipline, game awareness bowling iq or intelligence and he has now been playing for a decade

 

[G0rmintAunty]

Indian fans outnumbering Pakistanis 10-1 so far

 

[G0rmintAunty]

Pitch looking quite brown.

 

[Major]

The guy clearly faked an injury

 

[m.shah]

The guy clearly faked an injury

Injury or no injury, he is done and should be dumped. He has no pace no swing. He will have odd performance against mediocre teams but will be thrashed by good teams

 

[Sachin fan]

Time to fake another injury?

 

[Ball Blazer]

Time to fake another injury?

india wale match se pehle he kr leta

 

[shah9425]

This guy has been continuously going downhill
This brainless mug don't even know how to ball and where to keep length according to pitch

Needs to be removed asap from team plus odi captaincy

 

[Suleiman]

It’s no secret that fast bowlers can have their entire career trajectory side tracked after serious injuries, especially one involving the knee- let alone the knee they use for landing and bracing.

Let’s be honest, Shaheen after the injury he sustained prior to the t20 2022 WC was never the same…

Slower pace is a prime culprit but not the only culprit.

The biggest blunder was Babar and chairman rushing him back into the team during the tournament and him reinjuring himself.

Has he really returned to his best since?

No he hasn’t.

Good news is, there is still time.

But he has to take initiative. PCB sabotaged his recovery as iirc there was a lot of stop and go with his recovery.

Hopefully he doesn’t need to go under the knife again, but he needs time off to recover.

I believe in this resolution. I say give him few months to a year max and he will return as The Last Real Afridi once again- BUT ONLY with medical consultation outside of PCB.

 

[adi_62941]

I think he had ligament issues in his knee and he was fastracked during rehab.

I myself had ACL surgery on my left knee in 2024, and still after 2 years i dont feel like running that well as i used to be before the injury despite taking good rehab and precautions

Summary, Knee injuries takes time and demand a good and efficient rehab

 

[Suleiman]

I think he had ligament issues in his knee and he was fastracked during rehab.

I myself had ACL surgery on my left knee in 2024, and still after 2 years i dont feel like running that well as i used to be before the injury despite taking good rehab and precautions

Summary, Knee injuries takes time and demand a good and efficient rehab

I don’t think he ever had a proper rehab tbh. I do recall they botched his recovery or surgery and he had to get it done again. It’s been a few years but I still at least remember it was an absolute mess.

He hasn’t been the same since. It’s been 4 years now.

 

[jeetu]

Shaheen has height advantage so even with lower speed , he can be match winner. Important factors are self belief , adaptability and hard-work.
He should learn from Waqar who remained good bowler despite losing extreme pace. Also consulting Macgrath and working on accuracy can do wonders for him.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Knee/leg injuries seem to finish fast bowlers even more than the odd back stress fracture.

 

[adi_62941]

I don’t think he ever had a proper rehab tbh. I do recall they botched his recovery or surgery and he had to get it done again. It’s been a few years but I still at least remember it was an absolute mess.

He hasn’t been the same since. It’s been 4 years now.

Well despite his injury, i was never impressed by his bowling even he came fresh because he do not have a mindset/mind of a fast bowler plus his swing is very unpredictable.
He depends on a pitch, and get distracted very quickly if a batsmen charges him down.

 

[Energy]

Shaheen is the guy who I believe said we lost 2 world cups, one because of the catch dropped (Hassan Ali, Dubai), and one because of his catch taken and subsequent injury.

The chittar of 6's he received from Wade seems to be erased from his memory. This guy is an arrogant lanky tool who probably still thinks his performance in the current world cup wasn't very bad.

 

[shaz619]

Shaheen is the guy who I believe said we lost 2 world cups, one because of the catch dropped (Hassan Ali, Dubai), and one because of his catch taken and subsequent injury.

The chittar of 6's he received from Wade seems to be erased from his memory. This guy is an arrogant lanky tool who probably still thinks his performance in the current world cup wasn't very bad.

He is only good for giving dirty looks to our fans

 

[shaz619]

Monitor his speeds to see which competitions he decides to put effort in, at this point playing for Pakistan is a job to use as leverage for other stuff

 

[shah9425]

He was never good

Has been trash since 2022 after coming back from injury

On top of that he is being made odi captain

What a joke

 

[GudduBadmash]

Shaheen is a good bowler if he never bowls in the death overs again, the team should completely use up his 4 overs while the ball is swinging. Him and Rauf are the two biggest liabilities for any team in the last 4 overs of a T20 innings

 

[RidiculousMan]

I think he had ligament issues in his knee and he was fastracked during rehab.

I myself had ACL surgery on my left knee in 2024, and still after 2 years i dont feel like running that well as i used to be before the injury despite taking good rehab and precautions

Summary, Knee injuries takes time and demand a good and efficient rehab

I have followed careers of Football Players. Even with world class facilities, rehab and time off. Many players who had their ACL ruptured never made the desired comeback. They were never the same players anymore.

 

[adi_62941]

I have followed careers of Football Players. Even with world class facilities, rehab and time off. Many players who had their ACL ruptured never made the desired comeback. They were never the same players anymore.

That is true. I had the best doctor did my surgery and had excellent rehab for 1 complete year.
But still i feel there is something missing in that knee even while walking. So running, sprinting and bowling is another chapter.
I feel sorry for shaheen but he was never a good bowler even before his injury.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Miracle, miracle only for him to get smashed. Trundler of the next level.... Will not even pick him in the side and here this guy is the ODI captain.... ODI..... LOL

 

[RidiculousMan]

I feel sorry for shaheen but he was never a good bowler even before his injury.

This is simply not correct. He was world class before injury. He won ICC player of the year and for a reason in 2021.

The 21-year-old took 78 wickets in 36 matches at an average of 22.20 across all three formats in the international game.

In nine Tests, the left-arm quick claimed 47 scalps at 17.06 apiece and picked up career-best figures of 6/51 against West Indies along the way.

In six One-Day Internationals, Afridi picked up eight wickets in six matches with his best return (3/58) coming against South Africa in April.

Afridi had a fantastic 12 months in T20 international cricket, ending the year with 23 wickets in 21 matches, which included a memorable spell against India at the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE, taking 3/31 from his four overs. That performance was officially named as the ICC’s Play of the Tournament.

 

[rpant_gabba]

That is true. I had the best doctor did my surgery and had excellent rehab for 1 complete year.
But still i feel there is something missing in that knee even while walking. So running, sprinting and bowling is another chapter.
I feel sorry for shaheen but he was never a good bowler even before his injury.

Work you hamstring and do a lot plyometric work. Neural pathways would need to reestablished and unless you push, will not happen. Channel your inner Barry Sanders

 

[shah9425]

That is true. I had the best doctor did my surgery and had excellent rehab for 1 complete year.
But still i feel there is something missing in that knee even while walking. So running, sprinting and bowling is another chapter.
I feel sorry for shaheen but he was never a good bowler even before his injury.

He was decent during his earlier years

But since that injury he has been pure trash

 

[shamaan786]

Shaheen should have been the first person to rest/dropped.

 

[shamaan786]

Shaheen has height advantage so even with lower speed , he can be match winner. Important factors are self belief , adaptability and hard-work.
He should learn from Waqar who remained good bowler despite losing extreme pace. Also consulting Macgrath and working on accuracy can do wonders for him.

He doesn't use his height.

 

[Savak]

Shaheen had a brief purple patch from 2019 to 2023 but since then he has been crap. His record against the Top 5 teams has always been crap. He has been massively hyped and over rated because of his 2021 T-20 WC spell against India. But since that game Rohit has had no problem against his inswinger.

People are being delusional about him not being the same bowler after coming back from his knee injury. His pace isn't really an issue. He is still operating at 135-142 km/hr which would not be possible if his knee was problematic. Yes his swing has badly diminished but even if he does swing the ball, international batters are now fully prepared to tackle his full blooded inswinging yorkers with the new ball.

He must be the first 6 foot 11 inch fast bowler in history who habitually bowls 6 full deliveries in the over and doesn't scare the batsman at all with the threat of a bouncer or short of a good length delivery. His bowling has massively suffered like all the Pakistani pacers we have because of the excessive amount of T-20 cricket these guys play and the end result is we are now filled with pacers with zero bowling iq, always habitually bowling glory balls, zero art or patience to set the batsmen up by putting 6 balls out of 6 on the same spot relentlessly like Cummins, Bhumrah e.t.c.

 

[G0rmintAunty]

It’s no secret that fast bowlers can have their entire career trajectory side tracked after serious injuries, especially one involving the knee- let alone the knee they use for landing and bracing.

Let’s be honest, Shaheen after the injury he sustained prior to the t20 2022 WC was never the same…

Slower pace is a prime culprit but not the only culprit.

The biggest blunder was Babar and chairman rushing him back into the team during the tournament and him reinjuring himself.

Has he really returned to his best since?

No he hasn’t.

Good news is, there is still time.

But he has to take initiative. PCB sabotaged his recovery as iirc there was a lot of stop and go with his recovery.

Hopefully he doesn’t need to go under the knife again, but he needs time off to recover.

I believe in this resolution. I say give him few months to a year max and he will return as The Last Real Afridi once again- BUT ONLY with medical consultation outside of PCB.

He is dumb. A one trick pony who understandably got found out.

Despite seeing Rana get wickets with the short ball today he reverted to his usual pitched up crap hoping for that magic ball which every batsman expects off him any way. He first bowled a bouncer in the 4th over. As recently as the match against England he went against type and was somewhat successful because batsmen thought he would bowl his usual pitched up tripe and got fooled for a second but by the 4th over things were back to normal.

Injury or no injury he has no place in the team, let alone being the captain.

 

[jeetu]

He doesn't use his height.

Hard work and proper coaching could remedy that. He is still only 25, so he has age on his side. Perhaps playing too much safe cricket (low injury risk) is the deciding factor.

 

[BouncerGuy]

No way we can trust this guy in the side... He needs to be rested/dropped and let him play domestic games... He is still young, he can easily regain his form by playing longer formats... PCB is needlessly dragging him on sifarish...

 

[shamaan786]

Hard work and proper coaching could remedy that. He is still only 25, so he has age on his side. Perhaps playing too much safe cricket (low injury risk) is the deciding factor.

Yes he needs to take a break 6 months let his body recoup and then come back if he deserves it.