Ramiz Raja terms controversy over Shaheen Afridi’s treatment ‘unfortunate’

• Ramiz Raja says PCB has not disowned Shaheen Shah Afridi.
• PCB chairman says young pacer is Pakistan's "hero".
• "For the PCB, players are the most significant stakeholders."

Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja said that the board has not left pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi alone in what he called an unnecessary controversy was triggered. 

On September 15, former all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi had said that Shaheen himself bore all the expenses of his rehabilitation in London. 

"How can anyone believe that Shaheen Shah Afridi's parent body [the PCB] may disown him?" said Ramiz Raja while responding to a query from a cricket fan on social media on Friday. The fan said the board should have provided Afridi with all facilities he needed.

"This is impossible. It is beyond comprehension that the PCB would leave him on his own to deal with this. This is unfortunate that the uncalled-for controversy has been stoked."

It was the PCB that served batsman Mohammad Rizwan while he had health issues during the world cup, he said. "The panel of our doctors kept tending to him through the night, helped him recover and made it possible for him to play the final."

Ramiz Raja also presented the example of batsman Fakhar Zaman who is travelling abroad for rehabilitation at the PCB's expense.

The PCB chairman attributed the Shaheen controversy to the potential lack of clarity. According to him, he [Shaheen Afridi] needed to scurry out of Dubai when he faced some ticketing problems.

"For the PCB, players are the most significant stakeholders," Raja said. "No other cricket board is doing what the PCB is doing for its players—international and domestic."

Shahid Afridi says PCB not supporting Shaheen financially 

On September 15, former cricketer Shahid Khan Afridi made a shocking revelation about Shaheen Shah Afridi's ongoing knee rehabilitation in London.

Speaking to a local TV channel, Shahid claimed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not providing financial support to Shaheen for his rehabilitation.

"Shaheen went to England for rehabilitation at his own expense. I arranged a doctor for him there and he contacted him. PCB is providing nothing to Shaheen," revealed Shahid who is going to be Shaheen's father-in-law.