Afridi has been troubled by his knee since July, when Pakistan were in Sri Lanka for a Test series. He was out for three-and-a-half months before being brought back, perhaps prematurely, for the men’s T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. He had a good tournament, picking up 11 wickets in seven bowling innings including 4 for 22 against Bangladesh, 3 for 14 against South Africa, and 3 and 24 in the semi-final against New Zealand. But, in the final against England, Afridi could bowl only 2.1 overs after hurting his knee while taking a catch in the deep, and hasn’t played since.