Irfan Pathan gives a mouth shutting reply to Waqar Younis

After Shaheen Afridi was ruled out of the upcoming Asia Cup, former Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis had taken a dig at India players. Apparently, he tweeted that the Men In Blue will breathe a sigh of relief in Afridi's absence.

Shaheen’s injury Big relief for the Indian top order batsmen. Sad we won’t be seeing him in #AsiaCup2022 Get fit soon Champ @iShaheenAfridi pic.twitter.com/Fosph7yVHs

— Waqar Younis (@waqyounis99) August 20, 2022

In reply, former India left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan has given a mouth-shutting reply to the former Pakistan skipper. The former didn't directly address his Pakistani counterpart. However, he said that some teams will take relief from the fact that Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel won't be available for the continental tournament.

It’s a relief of other teams that Bumrah and Harshal aren’t playing this Asia cup!

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 21, 2022

Shaheen bowled a match-winning spell in the game against India last year. These teams played each other in the 20-20 World Cup game in Dubai. Notably, the upcoming game between the Asian rivals will be played at the same venue.

Shaheen Afridi is likely to return in October: Dr. Najeebullah Soomro

Pakistan Cricket Board Chief Medical doctor, Dr. Najeebullah Soomro has said that he spoke to the former Pakistan U19 player. The former revealed that even though the player is recovering well, he requires more time and is likely to return to the field in October this year. This means that he might also miss the seven-match T20I series against England.

“I have spoken with Shaheen and he is understandably upset with the news, but he is brave young man who has vowed to come back strongly to serve his country and team. Although he has made progress during his rehabilitation in Rotterdam, it is now clear he will require more time and is likely to return to competitive cricket in October.

“PCB’s Sports & Exercise Medicine Department will be working closely with the player over the coming weeks to ensure his safe return to competitive cricket.”