Azhar Mahmood: “Hopefully, Shaheen will be able to bowl well like before. All Pakistanis, including me, are praying for him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan bowling coach Azhar Mahmood said he is praying left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi returns with a bang.
Afridi has recovered from a right knee ligament injury and will make his return during the 2022 T20 World Cup.
He missed the Asia Cup, the seven-match T20 series against England and the T20 tri-series that Pakistan played against New Zealand and Bangladesh.
Having impressed in the T20 World Cup warm-up matches, Mahmood is hopeful that the 22-year-old fires right away in the team’s opening match against India and doesn’t show any signs of sluggishness.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi will not have any problem on his return to the team. The pacer also started bowling after recovering from injury, and if he completes his rehabilitation process properly, he will not have any problem. Hopefully, Shaheen will be able to bowl well like before. All Pakistanis, including me, are praying for him,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan’s clash against arch-rivals India will take place on Sunday in Melbourne.
Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood
Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir
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