Star pacer for Pakistan Shaheen Shah Afridi underwent surgery on Sunday, a week after suffering a knee injury that kept him from bowling last two overs against England in the T20 World Cup final in Melbourne. Shaheen revealed in a tweet that he underwent an appendectomy, which involves removing the appendix when it becomes infected, and added that he was now feeling better.
Had an appendectomy today but Alhumdulillah feeling better. Remember me in your prayers. , pic.twitter.com/M70HWwl9Cn— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) November 20, 2022
Shaheen aborted his third over, the 15th of the innings, after the first delivery during the World Cup final, landing awkwardly on his right knee when collecting a catch to eliminate batsman Harry Brook in what ended up being a five-wicket loss for Babar Azam andcompany. The 22-year-old entered the World Cup after missing 12 weeks due to a knee injury sustained during a Test match against Sri Lanka in July. The defeat in the T20 WC final raised doubts about his long-term viability as Pakistan’s top fast bowler.
Shaheen was recommended by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last week to take two weeks off from playing cricket in order to recover, adding that the feared injury was actually just discomfort from impact during the fielding effort.
It had been stated that Shaheen would spend a few days at the National High-Performance Center undergoing a “rehabilitation and conditioning programme” aimed at strengthening his knee. Shaheen’s return to international cricket would be contingent on the rehabilitation program’s success and the medical board’s approval, the PCB had added.