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Pakistan are sweating over the fitness of senior pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026. Afridi is currently recovering from a knee injury, which he picked up while playing for the Brisbane Heat in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26. The pacer was ruled out of the remainder of the BBL after hurting his knee.
Shaheen was also not picked in Pakistan's squad for their upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which gets underway on Wednesday, January 07. The series will serve as a preparatory ground for the T20 World Cup, and Pakistan will be hoping to fine-tune their combination for the showpiece event set to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
Pakistan's T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha provided an update on Afridi's recovery status ahead of the start of their three-match series against Sri Lanka and expressed optimism regarding the pacer's comeback in the T20 World Cup next month. Agha said the team management is hopeful, but the final call on Afridi's participation will be taken by the PCB.
"We are hopeful he will be fit for the World Cup, but the final decision will come from the (Pakistan Cricket) Board on advice from the medical panel," Agha said during the pre-match presser ahead of the 1st T20I against Sri Lanka.
The Pakistan Cricket Board recently shared a video of Afridi undergoing rehab at the board's High Performance Centre in Lahore. However, they have not clarified the extent of the pacer's injury and by what time he is expected to make a comeback for Pakistan.
Afridi is one of the vital cogs of Pakistan's pace attack in T20Is, having been one of their most consistent performers with the ball over the last few years. However, the pacer has been constantly troubled by injury issues in the past and struggled particularly with knee injuries.
Afridi suffered a knee injury during a Test match against Sri Lanka at Galle in 2021 and remained out of action for several months. He has since gone on to miss multiple games due to his knee issues. He picked up his latest injury while fielding for the Brisbane Heat during their BBL clash. It remains to be seen if he will make the cut in Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Pakistan have a settled core in their T20I setup heading into the World Cup next month. However, the biggest headline ahead of the Sri Lanka series is the return of former skipper Shadab Khan. The senior all-rounder has been included in the squad for the three-match series against the hosts and is in contention to make the cut in Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 after remaining on the sidelines for eight months following a shoulder surgery last year.
