Pakistan were dealt a worrying blow on Thursday after star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up a minor foot fascial injury ahead of their T20I tri-series fixture against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
In a brief statement, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Shaheen is under the supervision of the medical team following the injury, with his participation in today’s match hanging in the balance.
“Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi is currently under observation with the medical team after sustaining a minor foot fascial injury,” the PCB said.
“His condition is being closely monitored, and any decision regarding his availability will depend on his improvement and subsequent clearance from the medical team.”
With Shaheen unlikely to feature, Pakistan face a significant setback heading into a crucial contest, especially with the left-armer being a central figure in their T20I setup.
The squad, however, still carries pace options in Mohammad Wasim Jr., Naseem Shah and Salman Mirza, while Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed provide spin cover.
Pakistan opened their tri-series campaign on a positive note, defeating Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier this week after successfully chasing a 148-run target in 19.2 overs.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, stunned Sri Lanka in the following match, adding further intrigue to the points table.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Tri-Series
Salman Ali Agha (c), Hassan Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wk), Usman Tariq.