Shaheen Afridi has been replaced in the 15-member squad for the T20 Asia Cup 2022, which gets underway in the UAE on August 27, by youthful right-arm fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain.
After the medical staff recommended a 4-6 week vacation due to a right knee ligament injury, Afridi was removed from the competition. The seven-match domestic T20I series against England, which will take place from September 20 to October 2, has also been postponed due to his absence.
Afridi is anticipated to make his competitive cricket comeback in October with the T20I tri-series in New Zealand, which also includes Bangladesh as a third team. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia will follow in October and November.
Following an independent review of his bowling action at the ICC-accredited centre in Lahore, Hasnain was recently given the go-ahead to bowl in international cricket. Last season, while playing for the Sydney Thunder in Australia's Big Bash Twenty20 league, he was reported for a questionable action. After biomechanical testing revealed that his action was improper, he was prohibited from bowling.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan (vc) Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.