Afridi doubtful for charity match against Windies
Aknee injury is expected to rule Pakistan star Shahid Afridi out of the Hurricane Relief Twenty20 International against Windies at month end. The 38-year-old was scheduled to turn out for the ICC World XI in the fixture at Lord’s on May 31 but said on Thursday on Twitter that he would now need up to a month to recover from injury. “Went to see my doctor in Dubai. I will need another 3-4 (weeks). Hoping to regain full fitness after that,” Afridi said via the online social networking service.
PERSONAL REASONS
If Afridi is ruled out, it will be the second blow to the World XI after highly rated Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib-al-Hasan pulled out earlier this week citing “personal reasons”.
He was one of two Pakistan players included in the World XI squad, along with Shoaib Malik, and was expected to be one of the star attractions.
The squad, which will be led by England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan, also includes the likes of India’s Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik, along with Nepal’s 17-year-old spin sensation Sandeep Lamichhane.
The Windies will be skippered by Carlos Brathwaite and will feature superstar opener Chris Gayle and all-rounder André Russell.
The match will raise funds for five stadia in the Caribbean affected by the passage of deadly Hurricanes Irma and Maria last September.