Afridi to miss practice games

Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi is expected to miss practice games scheduled to take place in Lahore on August 5, 7 and 9 due to a wrist injury, according to a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official.

The official was quoted as saying to a newspaper, The News that Afridi has been recommended a three-week rest by specialists following reports from a MRI scan. Hence, he is unlikely to play the matches between Pakistan’s national team members and second string cricketers which will be a platform for the national selectors to finalise a 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy which starts from September 12. A national selector further indicated that Afridi will have to undergo fitness trials just before the start of the mega tournament.

The injury and his wife’s illness have already kept the 28-year-old out of action for quite a while now. Afridi, who has to his credit the fastest hundred scored in ODIs, has failed to perform with the bat of late and consequently was not included in the national team for the Asia Cup. He also missed Pakistan’s eight-day training camp at the Army School of Physical Training in Kakul which got over last week.

He has scored 1683 runs and 47 wickets from 26 Test appearances and 5479 runs and 239 wickets from 265 ODIs.