Cricket News: Absence of Shaheen Shah Afridi and Jasprit Bumrah in the Asia Cup
With just seven days to go for the much-awaited arch-rival clash between India and Pakistan, the latter team has received a massive blow. Pakistan's star pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been ruled out of the Asia Cup, followed by the T20I series against England
Shaheen Shah Afridi suffered a ligament injury in his right knee during the test match against Sri Lanka and has been advised a few more weeks of rest.
"Shaheen has been advised 4-6 weeks rest by the PCB Medical Advisory Committee and independent specialists following latest scans and reports," said a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) release.
Earlier this month, India, too, suffered a similar blow with their spearhead pacer Jasprit Bumrah getting ruled out of the tournament due to a back injury.
High-octane clash but in the absence of ace pacers
Shaheen Shah Afridi has been phenomenal with the new ball in the T20I format. The ICC player of 2021 became a nightmare for India's top-order batting line-up in T20 World Cup 2021.
It was Pakistan's first win against India in a World Cup, and much credit goes to the bowler who completely disrupted world-class Indian batters. Though he bagged seven wickets in the tournament, his role has been prominent as a bowler who gets early breakthroughs.
On the other hand, Jasprit Bumrah has been the death overs specialist for the Men in Blue. The 28-year-old is considered a yorker specialist and one of the fiercest pacers in the world.
Both the players are a nightmare for any player standing in opposition. Though their absence is being entitled as the perfect balance for the marquee clash, it still implies a wicket-taking challenge lying ahead of other bowlers in the team.
Legendary Waqar Younis said Shaheen Afridi getting ruled out of Asia Cup 2022 is a "big relief" for Indian batters. He tweeted, "Shaheen's injury Big relief for the Indian top order batsmen. Sad we won't be seeing him in #AsiaCup2022 Get fit soon Champ @iShaheenAfridi."
The recovery and rest for these pacers are highly crucial for their teams looking ahead to the T20 World Cup.
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