The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in an official statement that fast bowler Shaheen Afridi will resume his rehabilitation under the medical staff of the national team in Karachi from Monday. Shaheen has been away from the field since the T20 World Cup final against England in November 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He suffered a knee injury while taking the catch of Harry Brook during the match.
This meant that Pakistan missed their strike bowler for the rest of the match, who bowled only 2.1 overs in the final. Shaheen missed Pakistan’s Test series against England and New Zealand at home due to a knee injury and then a surgery.
The PCB said that while providing top-notch care to Shaheen, the move would help the medical staff track his progress and pave the way for his smooth return. Shaheen had earlier missed the Asia Cup against England in 2022 and Pakistan’s seven T20 matches due to a knee injury.
The PCB also said that the interim selection committee headed by former captain Shahid Afridi and the Pakistan team management have invited fast bowler Haris Rauf to undergo a test by the team’s medical staff to decide on his availability for the three ODIs. .
Rauf is out after suffering an injury on Test debut against England in Rawalpindi and is undergoing rehabilitation at the National High Performance Center in Lahore.
Now three ODIs will be played at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi on 9, 11 and 13 January. After the conclusion of the tour, New Zealand will travel to India for a tour of three ODIs and as many T20 matches from 18 January to 1 February.