Former Pakistan fast bowler Abdur Ruf Khan has raised concerns over the fitness of the country’s premier pacer Shaheen Afridi, warning that he could miss the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup after he was recalled from Australia due to a knee injury.
The T20 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8, with Pakistan in Group A along with India, USA, Netherlands and Namibia.
In a detailed tweet, Roof expressed concern over Shaheen’s repeated injuries and the long-term impact on his career.
“Pakistan is likely to lose their premier paceman Shaheen Afridi from the 2026 T20 World Cup,” Roof wrote.
“Shaheen was immediately recalled from Australia after the knee injury. He had previously suffered an ACL tear which affected his bowling – he changed his pace, swing and his biomechanics.”
The 47-year-old further emphasized the importance of proper rehabilitation before resuming high-intensity bowling, pointing out the risks of bouncing back from injury.
“In my opinion, his rehabilitation was incomplete, and an early return shifted the load to other parts of his body, affecting his bowling. Suffering a second injury is mentally and physically challenging. Recovering from a second ACL surgery is very complicated, and rushing it can affect a player’s career,” he added.
For the uninitiated, the 25-year-old recently pulled out of the ongoing Big Bash League (PBL) after injuring his knee during the Brisbane Heat’s match against the Adelaide Strikers.
He played four matches in the tournament and took two wickets at an economy rate of 11.19. Following the injury, he was recalled by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for rehabilitation.
The fast bowler is not part of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, as he and former captain Babar Azam were rested due to their PBL commitments.
As part of preparations for the T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan will play three T20 matches in Sri Lanka followed by a domestic series against Australia.
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