‘At first I could not even walk…’: Shaheen Shah Afridi speaks about his tough path on the road to recovery

Pakan quick Shaheen Shah Afridi is ready to fire all cylinders at the upcoming T20 world Cup in Australia. The tearaway fast bowler is expected to feature in his side’s ICC T20 World Cup campaign opener against India. However, Afridi’s journey to the tournament has been anything but easy. He was only able to join his team after completing a rehabilitation programme for his knee injury in London.
Afridi sustained the right knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in July and was kept on the sidelines ever since.
On Thursday, the Pakan Cricket Board (PCB) shared a video of his recovery on social media where the 22-year-old spoke to teammate Haris Rauf and admitted that it was a tough phase but fought on determinedly.
“It was very a tough phase in the rehab process and I missed playing on the field. But despite being away from the game I did call my teammates at times and spoke to them,” said Afridi.
“At first I could not even walk. But the aim was to play in the T20 World Cup and my focus was on doctors’ advice,” he said.
“I had never had such an injury and the feeling of walking with braces was quite difficult. I used to experience pain but took things slowly and then reaped benefits,” he added.

Shaheen Shah Afridi’s road to recovery 🦅
Full video 👉 https://t.co/Ep6SORK2Fo#T20WorldCup | #WeHaveWeWill pic.twitter.com/6iCAY3MuRX
— Pakan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 20, 2022
“Slowly I regained 80 percent fitness and then 90 and finally 100 percent. When you return from an injury the body does not react perfectly but I understood that I have to be patient. I thank my fans for the love and support,” he added.
Shaheen Shah Afridi is certainly one of the hottest fast-bowling prospects in the world currently. The left-arm pacer has been earmarked for future greatness.
Shaheen’s video was well-received fans, with many hailing him and urging for his return.