Wasim Akram slams PCB as Afridi pays from own pocket for treatment; 'It is very shocking'

Former Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram has slammed his country's cricket board in response to Shahid Afridi's surprising revelation concerning their top pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi. Shaheen travelled to London on his own and paid for his own lodging and meals, according to Shahid Afridi, who recently disclosed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not provide any assistance for the 22-year-old 's medical care in England. 

Further disclosing how he helped Shaheen, Shahid said that the PCB had taken no action to aid in the pacer's recovery and that it was he, who arranged a doctor for him. 

"When I talk about Shaheen.. that guy went to England on his own. He bought his own ticket, he spent his own money to stay in a hotel. I arranged a doctor for him, then he contacted the doctor. PCB is not doing anything, he was doing that on his own. Everything, from coordination to doctors to his hotel room and food expenses, he is paying out of his own pocket. As far as I know, Zakir Khan (Director of Cricket for international tours at the PCB) talked to him for 1-2 times, but that was it," Afridi said on Samaa TV.

Akram expresses shock

Expressing his shock at the incident, Akram lashed out at the PCB saying that the board's stance toward Shaheen is unfair. Akram said Shaheen should straightaway have been sent to the best surgeon in the world given his importance to the team. 

"Yeh bohot shocking he. He is one of our top...he is box-office. Aur agar yeh ladke ko hum nehin dekhenge, aur yeh sach he, toh yeh zyati he. He should have straightaway been sent to the best knee surgeon in the world. But woh akela kar raha he yeh sab...as I said I'm still shocked about it,” Akram told ARY News.

Shaheen suffered a knee injury during a Test match against Sri Lanka in July. Despite the injury, Shaheen was allowed to travel with the team for their ODI series against the Netherlands. However, the speedster did not play a single game in the series and was eventually ruled out of the 2022 Asia Cup. Shaheen has now been named in Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad. 

Image: Twitter/PCB/WasimAkram/Instagram