The Indian team has received good news as Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a knee injury. He must be fit for the T20 World Cup, which starts in October after the Pakistan Cricket Board's medical advisory council ordered "four to six weeks rest."
As a result, he will almost certainly miss England's seven-match T20I series at home in September. His absence is a severe loss to Pakistan's team, as Afridi is one of the most dangerous threats to the Indian team, as evidenced by their last meeting.
Afridi suffered a right knee ligament injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month, according to reports. As a result, despite being a member of the squad, he has been absent from the Netherlands tour.
Afridi would only participate in no more than one ODI against the Netherlands, according to Babar Azam, the leader of the Pakistani team.
Shadab Khan, Pakistan's vice-captain, said in a statement that Afridi is one of the best bowlers in the world.
"Shaheen's our best bowler, so of course we'll miss him," Shadab said.
Therefore, he expressed his disappointment that Afridi will be unable to compete in the Asia Cup. However, he hopes that Afridi will be ready for future tournaments such as the World Cup.
Unfortunate fate
"It's unfortunate that he won't be available for the Asia Cup," he said. "But we're hopeful he will be available for future series and the World Cup. We'll have to play ruthless cricket. Our team culture is such that we never relax against any team."
Dr Najeebullah Soomro, PCB chief medical officer, said in a statement that Afridi has promised to return to serve his country with vigour.
"I have spoken with Afridi and he is understandably upset with the news, but he is brave young man who has vowed to come back strongly to serve his country and team," Soomro said.
Following the progress of his recovery in the Netherlands, Soomro expects Afridi to be fit for the October T20I tri-series in New Zealand.
"Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October," he explained.
According to reports, this appears to be Afridi's first serious injury, especially considering how consistently he plays for Pakistan's national team in competitions throughout the globe.
Interestingly, some Pakistani fans began trolling the Indian squad in response to this, particularly those who asserted that Afridi's absence was fortunate for India.
