Pakistani batter Kamran Akmal has lashed out at Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Shahid Afridi’s revelation about Shaheen Afridi sparked a massive debate in Pakistan cricket.
Pakistani batter Kamran Akmal came out in Shahid Afridi’s support after his former teammate slammed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and made a shocking revelation about Shaheen Afridi’s rehabilitation. Pace ace Shaheen had missed the entire edition of the Asia Cup due to a knee injury that he sustained during the Sri Lanka series. Making headlines with his sensational claim, Afridi alleged that Shaheen flew out to the United Kingdom (UK) for surgery at his own expense.
A day after Afridi’s big revelation sparked a massive debate in Pakistan cricket, the Ramiz Raja-led Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) issued an official statement about Shaheen’s treatment. Launching an attack on the apex cricket board of Pakistan on Saturday, Afridi’s former teammate Akmal urged PCB chairperson Raja to sack those who are responsible for the Shaheen fiasco. Sharing his views on his YouTube channel, Akmal defended Afridi and claimed that the medical team of PCB wasted Shaheen’s time by forcing the pacer to travel with the Babar Azam-led side
The PCB chairman must sack the guys responsible for the Shaheen Afridi fiasco. Did Ramiz Raja ask if Afridi’s treatment was happening under the PCB’s supervision? What about the travel and accommodation expenses? Shahid Afridi would never have made such a statement if PCB had paid for all the expenses. He spoke because PCB hasn’t done anything. The medical team initially wasted 35-40 days by making him travel with the team,” Akmal said.
On Thursday, the PCB named pacer Shaheen in Pakistan’s star-studded squad for the 2022 edition of the World Cup. However, speed merchant Shaheen will miss the seven-match T20I series between hosts Pakistan and England. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Pakistani chief selector Mohammad Wasim assured that the PCB is assessing Shaheen’s injury.
“Shaheen was forced to go to London as PCB’s medical team didn’t provide him any proper treatment. He did the right thing by departing for London instead of wasting more time. If he had made this decision a bit earlier, he would have been playing the home series against England,” said Akmal who played 58 T20Is for Pakistan.
Akmal observed that Afridi was allowed to resume his training just two days after the star pacer arrived in London. Talking more about the ‘incompetent’ medical staff of the PCB, Akmal opined that the cricket board is doing damage control by sending Fakhar Zaman to London for his rehabilitation.
Just two days after reaching London, he was able to resume his training. Whereas, the PCB medical team made him tape his knee when he was at the ICC Academy. This shows how incompetent the medical staff is. The board says they have arranged the doctors, but Shahid Afridi has said that it was he who made the arrangements. The PCB is just trying to do damage control by sending Fakhar Zaman to London for his rehab,” he added.
