‘Shoaib Akhtar took so many injections’: Shahid Afridi defends Shaheen Afridi

Shahid Afridi has come out in support of his son-in law, Shaheen Afridi, after Shoaib Akhtar criticized the left-arm pacer for leaving the field with injury in last year’s T20 World Cup final against England.

Akhtar, in a recent local TV interview, has said that Shaheen missed a golden opportunity to become the biggest celebrity in Pakistan as he failed to complete his over at a crucial juncture of the aforementioned match.

"If I was in his [Shaheen Afridi] place, I would have become the greatest celebrity of Pakistan during those 12 minutes by bowling the same number of deliveries. I would've come to bowl, fall, break my knees, but I would've got up, used injection to numb my knees, and repeated the same again," Akhtar said.

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However, Shahid Afridi in a light-hearted way took a dig at Akhtar and said that it is risky for any pacer’s career to play on with injury.

“Shoaib Akhtar took so many injections that he can't walk now” Afridi said on a local TV channel.

“See, this is Shoaib Akhtar's class. He can do that. It's difficult, though. Everyone can't be Shoaib Akhtar. It's difficult to play with injury if you take injections and pain-killers. Because then, you risk aggravating the injury further. Anyway, let's leave Shoaib Akhtar alone!” said Afridi.

England went onto chase 139-run target set by Pakistan, courtesy of a half-century by Ben Stokes, and win the title.

Shaheen has since recovered from his injury and is currently leading the reigning champions, Lahore Qalandars, in the ongoing eighth edition of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL).