Shaheen Afridi cleared of serious injury, finger fully healed

Pakistan left-arm pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has been unable to showcase his customary performance in the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 so far, and his bowling speed seems slightly reduced as well.

Some former cricketers have suspected that he might be dealing with an injury affecting his performance. However, the team sources say that Shaheen is fully fit and ready to display his excellent traditional bowling in the match against India. They clarified that Shaheen's issues are not significant enough to prevent him from stepping onto the field. 

Team sources revealed that during fielding in the Asia Cup match against India in Colombo, Shaheen sustained pressure on his finger, causing some swelling. However, there is no pain now.

Shaheen is usually habitual of taking wickets in the initial overs. Whenever that happens, his reduced speed issue will also go away. 

The team sources also added that Shaheen is a bit disappointed due to not getting wickets in the initial overs, but it's just a matter of one match. As soon as he starts achieving success, he will regain his past form.

It is worth noting that Shaheen has secured six wickets at an average of 69, giving away 276 runs in his last 5 One Day Internationals. He couldn't bag any wicket against Australia in the World Cup warm-up match. However, prior to this, in the match against India during the Asia Cup 2023, which was affected by rain, he took 4 wickets, conceding 35 runs and dismissing key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The team now expects a similar performance from him against the arch-rivals in the World Cup.