Pakistan Skipper Hopeful for Shaheen Afridi’s Comeback in T20 World Cup 2026

Pakistan’s T20 captain, Salman Ali Agha, has expressed optimism regarding Shaheen Shah Afridi’s recovery from a knee injury, with hopes that the fast bowler will regain full fitness in time for the T20 World Cup 2026 next month. Afridi is a crucial part of Pakistan’s pace attack, and his participation could be pivotal for the team’s success in the tournament, which is co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.

“We are hopeful he will be fit for the World Cup, but the final decision will come from the Pakistan Cricket Board, based on advice from the medical panel,” Salman stated to the media in Dambulla, where Pakistan is set to face Sri Lanka in the first T20I on Wednesday.

Shaheen’s rehabilitation is being overseen by the PCB’s medical panel at the High Performance Centre in Lahore. The PCB released a video on Wednesday showing the pacer undergoing rehabilitation but did not disclose the severity of the injury or the timeline for his full recovery.

Shaheen injured his knee while fielding in a Big Bash League (BBL) match in Australia recently. He was released by his team, Brisbane Heat, to return to Pakistan for rehabilitation. This is not the first instance of Shaheen facing a knee issue; he previously suffered a similar injury in 2021 during a Test match in Galle, sidelining him for several months.

Salman also commented that Pakistan has managed to assemble a balanced and strong squad for the World Cup, and the series in Sri Lanka would help the players acclimatize to local weather and grounds. Pakistan will play all its World Cup matches in Sri Lanka. “This series will greatly benefit the players for the World Cup, especially those with limited experience in Sri Lanka,” Salman added.

The squad for the three-match series against Sri Lanka comprises only one uncapped player, Khawaja Nafay. Notably, experienced all-rounder Shadab Khan returns to the national team after an eight-month absence due to shoulder surgery, having shown good form in the BBL in December.

Published on January 7, 2026