I wanted to give up: Shaheen makes stunning revelations about quitting cricket | Cricket

After being sidelined for months, Shaheen Shah Afridi is expected to make a comeback in the upcoming Pakistan Super League (PSL), which is scheduled to start on February 13. The Pakistan pacer, who is also the skipper of Lahore Qalandars, is expected to return to action in the season opener against Multan Sultans.

Ahead of his much-anticipated return to competitive cricket, Shaheen opened up about the period in which he struggled mightily to regain his fitness. In a video shared on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) digital channels, the pacer said he was considering retirement but kept himself motivated by watching his old videos YouTube.

Sometimes I wanted to give up. I only worked on one muscle and it didn’t improve. Often during the rehabilitation sessions, I told myself that it’s enough, I can’t take it anymore

But then I watched my bowling on YouTube and saw how well I had done and that motivated me and told myself to push a little harder. It is frustrating for a fast bowler to miss cricket due to injury, he said.

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Shaheen was plagued by a knee injury that forced him out of action for several months. At the 2022 Asia Cup, where Pakistan finished second, Shaheen was seen walking with the help of crutches while players from India and other countries were seen checking on him.

Shaheen soon returned to the major league and he was an integral part of Pakistan’s unit in the T20 World Cup in Australia, where Babar Azam and Co. placed second again. However, it was in the final against England in a showpiece event when Shaheen once again injured his already injured knees, forcing him to retire midway through the contest.

Shaheen then underwent surgery and rehabilitation while his teammates were involved in national duties. The team locked horns for a Test series against England before playing a full-fledged series against New Zealand.

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Shaheen also reflected on that phase, stating that he was eager to jump into action during the Multan Test against England, where Pakistan fell 26 runs short.

It came when I looked [Multan Test] in the match, and our tailengers couldn’t finish the game. I wanted to hit a few sixes there and finish the match for Pakistan. Also when they [England] we made a lot of runs, I wanted to contribute with the ball, he said.