Pakistan Star Ruled Out of BBL, In Doubt for T20 World Cup 2026

The Brisbane Heat Cricket Team has suffered a massive blow amid the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26. Premier pacer Shaheen Afridi has been ruled out of the entire tournament due to a knee injury.

Shaheen has been under the spotlight for the last few days. In the Brisbane Heat’s game against the Adelaide Strikers, the Pakistan pacer got injured. In the 14th over of the chase, he faced discomfort in his knee and then walked off the field.

It was expected that Afridi, one of the best bowlers in the world, would get fit in time for the next game. But that wasn’t the case as his injury was much worse than expected. As a result of that, he has been ruled out of the remainder of this season's Big Bash League.

Shaheen Afridi Injury Rules Him Out of BBL 2025-26

Shaheen Afridi BBL stint is now over as he has been called back by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to start his rehabilitation. He will work under the observation of the medical staff as PCB wants him fit for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

Shaheen Afridi injury development was himself confirmed by him. Taking to his social media account, he said that he will be back on the field soon and will be cheering for the Brisbane Heat. He also thanked the franchise for their support and love. His statement read:

"I'm massively thankful to the Brisbane Heat team and fans for showering me with immense love and support," Afridi wrote on his social media handle. “Due to an unexpected injury, I have been called back by the PCB and will have to take a rehab. Hopefully, I will be back in the fields soon. Meanwhile, I will be cheering for the amazing team.”

While he was ruled out Shaheen Afridi replacement hasn't been announced by Brisbane Heat. However, the Heat will rely on Liam Haskett and Tom Balkin for the rest of the season.

This, however, isn’t the first injury concern for the Brisbane Heat. Tom Alsop (knee injury) and Nathan McSweeney (ankle injury) have been out as well due to injuries. The franchise would be hoping that they return and help the team win the games.

Not only this, Spencer Johnson and Callum Vidler have been ruled out of the game. Now only, stand-in captain Xavier Bartlett, all-rounder Jack Wildermuth and uncapped left-armer Oli Patterson are the remaining fit fast bowlers in the 18-man squad.

Shaheen Afridi’s Poor Run in BBL 2025-26

Left-arm seamer Shaheen Afridi is arguably one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. However, he didn’t have a great outing with the ball as he would have wanted in the BBL 2025-26. He had a horrible debut against the Melbourne Renegades as he was removed from the attack due to his high-waist no-balls.

In the next two games, he gave away 49 and 35 in four overs each respectively, and picked a wicket each. In his last game, he looked in decent touch as he gave away 26 runs in the three overs. But unfortunately, as he was finding his rhythm, he was ruled out.