Legendary cricketer Wasim Akram has expressed shock after Shahid Afridi revealed that ace pacer Shaheen Afridi is paying for his treatment for a knee injury in London form his own pocket. He even raged at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Shaheen Afridi had suffered from a knee injury during the first Test against Sri Lanka at home and this led to him missing the subsequent series against the Netherlands and then the Asia Cup 2022 as well.
However, Shahid Afridi revealed that Shaheen has been paying for his accommodation and treatment in London to fix his knee injury and has received no help from the Pakistani board.
Speaking to Samaa TV on Thursday, Afridi revealed, "Shaheen had gone to London on his own and had spent his own money for accommodation while he had arranged a doctor for his treatment, alleging that PCB did not make a single effort in the pacer bowler’s rehabilitation."
This revelation was made shortly after PCB named Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2022 squad in which Shaheen Afridi was named and Mohammad Wasim, the chief selector had said that Shaheen is likely to resume bowling next month.
He added: “When I talk about Shaheen.. that guy went to England on his own. He bought his own ticket, he spent his own money to stay in a hotel. I arranged a doctor for him, then he contacted the doctor. PCB is not doing anything, he was doing that on his own. Everything, from coordination to doctors to his hotel room and food expenses, he is paying out of his own pocket. As far as I know, Zakir Khan (Director of Cricket for international tours at the PCB) talked to him for 1-2 times, but that was it.”
Listening to Shahid’s shocking revelation during his interview with ARY news, Wasim Akram said that PCB’s behavior towards Shaheen was unfair and that the youngster should have been assigned the best surgeon for his treatment.
“Yeh bohot shocking he. He is one of our top…he is box-office. Aur agar yeh ladke ko hum nehin dekhenge, aur yeh sach he, toh yeh zyati he. He should have straightaway been sent to the best knee surgeon in the world. But woh akela kar raha he yeh sab…as I said I’m still shocked about it,” Akram said.
India will face Pakistan in their opening match in Melbourne in T20 World Cup in October.
