SL vs PAK: Shaheen Afridi ruled out of second Test with a knee injury

Faheem Ashraf is to replace Shaheen Afridi for the second match at Galle.

Published - 21 Jul 2022, 22:59 IST | Updated - 21 Jul 2022, 22:59 IST

2 Min Read

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that star pacer Shaheen Afridi won’t be a part of the second and final Test match against Sri Lanka. Afridi, who ranks fourth on the ICC Test bowlers’ chart, suffered a knee injury in the first match at Galle on day four. He left the field and it was thought of as a minor injury. But now the player is set to miss the second match which is a big blow for Pakistan. He will be gutted to miss the second match as he is just one wicket away from reaching the milestone of 100 Test wickets.

The 22-year-old speedster was crucial in Pakistan’s historic win in the first match. He took four wickets for 58 in 14.1 overs to bowl out the hosts for just 222 runs in the first innings but was restricted to just seven overs after discomfort in the right knee on day four. He was spotted having an icepack wrapped to his knee and reportedly went through an MRI scan later. PCB has confirmed that the player will be staying in Sri Lanka and will be under the supervision of Pakistan’s medical team.

“He will stay with the Test side in Sri Lanka, where his initial rehabilitation and management will continue under the supervision of the team’s medical staff,” the PCB statement on Shaheen Afridi’s injury read.

Faheem Ashraf to replace Shaheen Afridi for the second match at Galle

After chasing the historic 342-run target at Galle in the first match, Pakistan are now the favourites to win the series. Afridi’s injury will be a big blow for them but they have backup pacers Faheem Ashraf and Haris Rauf available for the next match starting on July 24 at Galle. Pakistan played the first match with three pacers Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, and Afridi and are forced to replace the latter with a pacer on the spin-friendly surface at Galle. Faheem is likely to replace Afridi, who has taken 24 wickets in 14 Test matches and has also scored 636 runs at an impressive average of 31.8.

Sri Lanka have also lost their key spinner Maheesh Theekshana to a finger injury suffered in the first match. The right-arm off-spinner Lakshitha Manasinghe has been called up for the second match to replace Theekshana. Manasinghe is expected to make his international debut after impressive performances in first-class cricket.

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