Tag: Shaheen Afridi

Pakistan’s ace pacer Shaheen Afridi eyes another title as he gears up for his maiden Big Bash League (BBL) season with Brisbane Heat. 

The BBL 15 Draft, held in Melbourne on Thursday, saw six of the eight franchises show interest in Pakistan’s top players, with five national stars eventually earning contracts.

Meanwhile, star batter Babar Azam was pre-signed by the Sydney Sixers ahead of the BBL 15 draft.

Shaheen’s selection as the No. 1 Platinum pick headlines a strong Pakistani presence in the league this season.

Speaking during The Surge Podcast, Shaheen shed light on playing in Australia, as well as featuring in the marquee league for the first time.

The left-arm pacer aimed for glory with the Brisbane Heat, noting that this would make his maiden season in the tournament more memorable.

“That will be amazing — to win one more trophy. It would make my first season even more special. In the PSL, we won three trophies, and it’s all about the players and how the management gives you that cushion to enjoy your cricket,” he said.

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“That’s the main thing. I’m really hopeful — Brisbane Heat are a very good side, and I’m looking forward to winning another trophy with them,” Shaheen added.

The left-arm pacer also talked about his signature wicket-taking celebration, along with performing in front of an enthusiastic crowd.

“It will be even more special if I get a wicket in the first over again,” he said.

“I’ll put all my energy into the celebration, and with the support of the crowd behind me, it’ll feel amazing. I’ll be even happier if both Pakistani and Australian fans cheer and call out ‘Afridi’ when I’m at the top of my run-up. That will really pump me up, and I think I’ll enjoy it even more,” he stated.

Shaheen Afridi, who recently led Lahore Qalandars to their third title in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) revealed his favourite wickets in the upcoming season of BBL.

“For me, it’s all three. I wouldn’t pick just one because all of them are crucial wickets. They’re key players for their teams, and I’d love to dismiss each of them,” he concluded.

READ: WATCH: Players participate in scenario-based matches at PCB skill development camp

Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed his excitement after being snapped up by Brisbane Heat as the first overall overseas pick in the Big Bash League (BBL) 15 Draft.

The BBL 15 Draft, held in Melbourne on Thursday, saw six of the eight franchises show interest in Pakistan’s top players, with five national stars eventually earning contracts.

Meanwhile, star batter Babar Azam was pre-signed by the Sydney Sixers ahead of the BBL 15 draft.

Shaheen’s selection as the No. 1 Platinum pick headlines a strong Pakistani presence in the league this season.

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He will be available for the entire BBL campaign, including the finals, adding firepower to a Heat side already stacked with talent.

In a video message shared by the Brisbane Heat on its official social platforms, the 25-year-old left-arm quick shared his thoughts on joining the reigning BBL champions.

“Hello everyone, I am excited to join Brisbane Heat for my first Big Bash season. Bowling at the Gabba is always very special. Looking forward to meeting all the Heat fans this summer. See you all. Thank you,” said Shaheen Afridi.

 

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Moreover, Mohammad Rizwan was picked fourth in the Platinum round by Melbourne Renegades. The seasoned wicketkeeper-batter is aiming to make a strong statement ahead of the T20 World Cup next year.

Haris Rauf, retained by Melbourne Stars, continues his association with the franchise he has served since 2019. Rauf is currently active in the MLC 2025 with San Francisco Unicorns.

Shadab Khan, drafted by the Sydney Thunder, marks his fourth BBL stint. The leg-spinner has already represented Brisbane Heat, Sydney Sixers, and Hobart Hurricanes, tallying 14 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 7.50.

Hasan Ali, selected by Adelaide Strikers, will also make his BBL debut. The experienced right-arm pacer has previously featured in the LPL, CPL, and BPL.

READ: Babar Azam opts out of PCB’s skills development camp after two days

Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan are among the Pakistan players who have registered for the upcoming draft of the Big Bash League (BBL) season 15, scheduled to take place on June 19.

Joining them on the draft list are fellow internationals Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan, forming a strong Pakistan contingent aiming for another stint in one of the world’s premier T20 leagues.

This year’s BBL draft is set to be one of the most competitive yet, with over 600 overseas players putting their names forward.

Pakistan’s gap in the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) from November to February provides their top cricketers a window of opportunity to participate in the BBL 15.

Brisbane Heat hold the No. 1 pick for the men’s draft and will have the first chance to pick from a star-studded pool.

Alongside the Pakistani quartet, the initial draft list also features England’s Sam Curran and Alex Hales, New Zealand duo Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, and West Indies fast bowler Shamar Joseph.

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The women’s draft for WBBL 11 will run parallel, and Pakistan women’s captain Fatima Sana is part of the nomination list.

Other big names include England’s Heather Knight, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Bell, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge; India’s Jemimah Rodrigues and Shikha Pandey; South Africa’s Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon; and West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin.

BBL General Manager Alistair Dobson welcomed the high-profile names registering for this year’s drafts, calling it a sign of the league’s global appeal.

“Names like Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Heather Knight, and Sophie Ecclestone show that the BBL and WBBL remain attractive leagues for top international talent,” Dobson said.

“The presence of these stars will add a new flavour to the Big Bash this season.”

READ: Steve Smith wary of South Africa pace attack in WTC final

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has paid homage to Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi, placing him among football players Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luka Modrić.

FIFA shared the iconic number 10 jersey in a social media post, featuring global football icons.

“The iconic,” FIFA wrote in a caption alongside the jersey of Shaheen Afridi and football players.

FIFA’s gesture is reportedly part of a broader effort to increase fan engagement in Pakistan ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026, set to take place in the United States of America (USA).

 

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Last year, Manchester United also honoured the pacer during his visit to Old Trafford, the iconic home of the football club.

At Old Trafford, Shaheen Afridi received a warm welcome. He was spotted in the dugout of the iconic stadium, posing with a personalized Manchester United jersey.

The jersey displayed his name, “Afridi,” along with the iconic No. 10, which has been worn by football legends such as David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Wayne Rooney, highlighting the significance of the visit.

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It is pertinent to mention that the honour came at a time when Lahore Qalandars triumphed for the third time in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10. Shaheen Afridi, the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, was pivotal to his team’s success.

With the win, the left-arm pacer also etched his name into the tournament’s history as the most successful captain. Shaheen Afridi has won three titles in PSL, making him the most successful captain.

Lahore Qalandars chased down 202 to defeat Quetta Gladiators in the final at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. Sikandar Raza, who came 10 minutes before the toss, secured the emphatic win for his team, scoring 22 off seven balls.

Captains with most PSL titles:

Shaheen Afridi (Lahore Qalandars) – 3

Misbah-ul-Haq (Islamabad United) – 1

Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) – 1

JP Duminy (Islamabad United) – 1

Sarfaraz Ahmed (Quetta Gladiators) – 1

Imad Wasim (Karachi Kings) – 1

Mohammad Rizwan (Multan Sultans) – 1

Shadab Khan (Islamabad United) – 1

READ: WATCH: Bangladesh, SA Players involved in Physical Fight During Emerging Test

LAHORE: Shaheen Afridi, captain of the Lahore Qalandars,  credited the entire team for reaching the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

Lahore Qalandars ended defending champions Islamabad United’s journey in PSL 10 with a  95-run drubbing.

The home team demonstrated a clinical bowling and batting display here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night.

While defending a target of 203 runs, Lahore Qalandars routed Islamabad United’s batting lineup with a stellar bowling performance.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

Islamabad United were bundled out on a meager 107 in just 15.1 overs.

Shaheen Afridi returned with outstanding bowling figures of 3-3 in 3.1 overs.

While speaking in the post-match presentation, Shaheen Afridi emphasized Lahore Qalandar’s batting, hailing the team’s performance under challenging circumstances.

“The whole team deserves credit for the win—they performed when it mattered most,” Shaheen Afridi said.

He highlighted the importance of a strong start, stating: “Fakhar and Naeem gave us a crucial opening. Naeem in particular batted really well.”

The captain also praised Abdullah Shafique’s composed knock while pinpointing wickets with the new ball in the second innings.

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“Abdullah’s contribution was outstanding and played a key role in building momentum. We put the opposition under pressure by taking quick wickets,” Shaheen remarked.

The skipper expressed confidence ahead of the final against 2018 champions Quetta Gladiators.

“We are fully hopeful of winning the final,” Shaheen Afridi concluded.

READ: Ben Stokes shines as England tighten grip against Zimbabwe

Karachi Kings skipper David Warner took a dig at Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi after his side edged their arch-rivals in a rain-hit PSL 10 thriller at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night.

While he was all praise for his team’s effort in the four-wicket win, the Australian couldn’t resist taking a cheeky dig at Lahore captain Shaheen Shah Afridi’s pitch assessment.

Lahore Qalandars, in a shortened 15-over contest, posted a strong 160/8, a total powered by blistering half-centuries from openers Mohammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman.

Naeem led the charge with a fiery 65 off 29 deliveries, smashing six fours and five sixes, while Fakhar chipped in with a 33-ball 51 featuring four boundaries and three maximums.

In response, Karachi Kings chased down a revised 168-run target with three balls to spare, thanks to a breathtaking unbeaten 48 off 21 balls from Irfan Khan Niazi.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

But what caught the attention after the match was Warner’s pointed response to Afridi’s pre-match pitch prediction.

“Shaheen said it was going to turn, but not one ball has turned here in three games,” Warner said with a grin. “I was baffled by those comments.”

While Lahore went in with a spin-heavy attack, David Warner backed his decision to stick with four pacers.

“I stuck with it [pace attack]. You’ve just got to back yourself. Our bowlers have been fantastic, they’ve been taking wickets, and right now there’s probably no room for an extra spinner,” he explained.

The subtle jab came after Afridi had earlier remarked that the surface would assist spinners, something that clearly didn’t unfold as expected, especially after the rain altered the conditions.

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Despite the banter, Warner had glowing praise for his players, especially Irfan Khan, who turned the match on its head with his fearless batting.

“It was an amazing victory. First, I want to talk about the bowlers, they did a great job of restricting them to 160,” Warner said.

“And then obviously it was a brilliant effort by [Irfan Khan] Niazi. We stuck with him and spoke to him about having that hunger and desire, and today, the way he played was the cream on the top.”

With back-to-back wins under their belt, Karachi Kings are now eyeing a top-two finish as they head to Rawalpindi for their final group matches against Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United on May 8 and 10.

“We’ve pulled off a miracle today,” David Warner said. “Momentum is with us. Now the goal is to carry it into Rawalpindi and finish strong.”

READ: Shaheen Afridi remains unfazed after thrilling loss against Karachi Kings

Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi remained composed despite a close four-wicket defeat against Karachi Kings in a rain-affected Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 clash at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night.

The Qalandars, in a shortened 15-over contest, posted a strong 160/8, a total powered by blistering half-centuries from openers Mohammad Naeem and Fakhar Zaman.

Naeem led the charge with a fiery 65 off 29 deliveries, smashing six fours and five sixes, while Fakhar chipped in with a 33-ball 51 featuring four boundaries and three maximums.

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Chasing a revised target of 168, the Kings rode on Irfan Khan Niazi’s explosive unbeaten 48 off 21 balls, laced with five sixes and two fours, to cross the finish line with three balls to spare and six wickets down.

His onslaught included three consecutive sixes off Shaheen’s over — a decisive moment in the contest. But Shaheen remained unfazed, taking the loss in stride.

“It’s all part of the game. Whoever plays better cricket on the day deserves to win,” Shaheen said post-match. “It’s not the end of the tournament — we’ll come back stronger when we meet them again in the knockouts.”

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

The left-arm pacer also pointed out that rain altered the dynamics of the game.

“It was a used pitch, not easy to bat on early. But once the rain came, the ball started coming on better and that shifted the momentum,” he noted.

Shaheen Afridi reserved special praise for Mohammad Naeem, who continued to impress at the top of the order.

“Naeem is a special talent. He’s going to be crucial for us in the upcoming matches,” he added. “We’ll take the positives from this game, address the areas we fell short in, and aim to bounce back stronger.”

READ: Peshawar Zalmi’s Mitchell Owen set to join Punjab Kings for IPL 2025

Pakistan’s ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi joined Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Amir in an elite club of bowlers, marking yet another achievement in his career.

The left-arm pacer, who is Lahore Qalandars’ captain, completed his 300 wickets in T20 cricket during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 10 clash against Islamabad United on Wednesday.

Afridi hit the landmark after dismissing United’s opener Sahibzada Farhan (9) in the third over, marking his 300th wicket in the shortest format.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

With this achievement, Shaheen Afridi became only the seventh Pakistani bowler to take 300 wickets in T20s, joining the ranks of Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Amir, Imad Wasim, Shahid Afridi, and Shadab Khan.

Most wickets in T20s by Pakistan bowlers:

• Wahab Riaz – 413 wickets in 344 innings

• Sohail Tanvir – 389 wickets in 381 innings

• Mohammad Amir – 371 wickets in 315 innings

• Imad Wasim – 353 wickets in 376 innings

• Shahid Afridi – 347 wickets in 323 innings

• Shadab Khan – 336 wickets in 297 innings

• Shaheen Shah Afridi – 300 wickets in just 215 innings

At just 25, Shaheen continues to underline his credentials as a T20 force. He has picked up nine wickets in seven matches so far this season, with his best figures of 3/34.

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Last night’s match also marked a statement win for Lahore Qalandars, as they handed Islamabad United their first defeat of the season.

After being put into bat, the Qalandars posted a commanding 209/6. The bowling unit, led by Shaheen, then dismantled Islamabad for just 121 in 16.5 overs, sealing a thumping 88-run win.

With the victory, Lahore Qalandars now sit second on the points table with four wins in seven matches. Islamabad United, despite the loss, remain at the top with five wins from six outings.

READ: Shadab Khan laments poor fielding in loss to Lahore Qalandars

MULTAN: Lahore Qalandars captain Shaheen Afridi vowed to make a strong comeback after their defeat against Multan Sultans in the 12th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 here at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Chasing a daunting total of 229, Lahore Qalandars crumbled under pressure and could only manage 195 for the loss of nine wickets in their 20 overs.

Lahore Qalandars started strong in pursuit of the target, posting 38 in 3.2 overs, before Mohammad Naeem’s wicket.

Fakhar Zaman led the charge with a brisk 32 off 14 balls, laced with three fours and two sixes. However, he was dismissed on the penultimate ball of the fourth over, halting Qalandars’ momentum.

Following his dismissal, Abdullah Shafique partnered with Daryl Mitchell and formed a brisk 36-run stand, taking the Qalandars’ score to 85 in 8.4 overs. Just as the Qalandars appeared to recover, Multan Sultans struck back, removing both batters in quick succession to leave the visitors struggling at 87-4.

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

The required run-rate soared as Qalandars slipped to 111-5 in 11.2 overs. Meanwhile, Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza provided them with a glimmer of hope with a valiant 38-run partnership.

Sam Billings was removed for a well-made 43 off 23 balls, an innings featuring four sixes and two fours. However, his dismissal derailed the chase once more. Sikandar Raza continued to fight with a valiant 50 off 27 balls, featuring five fours and three sixes, but the target proved too steep in the end.

For Multan Sultans, Ubaid Shah starred with a three-wicket haul while Usama Mir and Michael Bracewell each picked up two wickets in economical spells.

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During the post-match talk, Shaheen vowed to fight back and praised the performance of youngsters, stating it would significantly boost their confidence for future matches.

“It’s still early days in the tournament, and we’re confident of bouncing back stronger,” he said.

“To be honest, it was a tough wicket for the bowlers today. But the youngsters stepped up, and that’s one of the big positives we’ll take forward,” he added.

Shaheen Afridi expressed confidence in Rishad Hossain’s recent performances and anticipated even better results from him in the upcoming matches, highlighting that the expected pitch conditions would be favorable for his style of bowling.

“We also wanted to try out Mitchell on this surface and give everyone an opportunity. Rishad Hossain has been bowling really well for us, and we believe the upcoming pitches will suit his style even more, ” he remarked.

READ: Multan Sultans thump Lahore Qalandars to secure first win in PSL 10

Lahore Qalandars CEO Atif Rana has finally addressed the long-standing speculation surrounding the appointment of Shaheen Shah Afridi as captain and whether former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan had a hand in it.

Shaheen, just 21 at the time, was a surprising choice when Lahore Qalandars named him captain in 2021.

In an exclusive chat with a local sports outlet, Atif Rana clarified that the decision to hand over the reins to Shaheen had nothing to do with Imran Khan.

“Shaheen was made captain by Sameen [Rana],” Atif revealed. “Our team think tank took that decision collectively, and Sameen played a key role in it.”

Catch all the PSL 10 updates here!

He explained that while they did meet Imran Khan, who was Prime Minister at the time, the meeting happened after the captaincy decision had already been made.

“We had a meeting with Imran Khan after we made Shaheen Afridi the captain,” Atif said. “At that time, Imran Khan praised our decision and told Shaheen, ‘If you keep playing like this, you will rule world cricket for the next 8 to 10 years.’”

Atif Rana recalled an interesting take from the 1992 World Cup-winning captain. He also shared that even though Imran wasn’t involved in the actual decision-making, his validation meant a lot to the Qalandars camp.

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“Imran Khan said he doesn’t consider batsmen as captains, he believes a true captain is a bowler,” he shared. “Hearing such words from such a legend was very special for us and for Shaheen as well.”

Prior to appointing Shaheen Afridi as captain, the franchise had endured a dismal run in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), finishing at the bottom in five out of six seasons from 2016 to 2021.

But the young pacer turned the tide, leading the Qalandars to their maiden PSL title in 2022 and remarkably defending it in 2023, making them the first team in the league’s history to win back-to-back titles.

READ: Inzamam-ul-Haq shares what Babar Azam needs to turn things around