Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Shah Afridi is a Pakistani international cricketer who serves as the captain of the national ODI team. A left-arm fast bowler, he represents the Pakistan national team across multiple formats.

Early life and education

Afridi was born on 6 April 2000 in Landi Kotal, located within the Khyber District. He belongs to the Zakhakhel Afridi tribe of the Pashtuns. Growing up in his native Landi Kotal, he began his cricket journey at the Tatara Ground. His eldest brother, Riaz Afridi, is 15 years his senior and played a single Test match for Pakistan in 2004. He is the youngest of seven brothers.

Riaz Afridi introduced him to hard-ball cricket during the FATA Under-16 trials in 2015. Before this period, Shaheen had played only tennis-ball cricket. His success at the youth level led to his selection for the Under-16 tour of Australia in November 2015. During that tour, he secured four wickets across the One-Day and Twenty20 series victories.

Career

Afridi joined the Pakistan Under-19 team for the 2016 Under-19 Asia Cup in Sri Lanka. He took 3 wickets for 27 runs during a win against Singapore. In September 2017, he signed a two-year contract with the Dhaka Dynamites. He made his first-class debut for Khan Research Laboratories on 26 September 2017. During that match, he recorded 8 wickets for 39 runs, which stands as the best figures by a Pakistani bowler on a first-class debut.

He was the leading wicket-taker for Pakistan during the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup with 12 wickets. His professional T20 career began with the Lahore Qalandars in the 2018 Pakistan Super League. On 23 February 2018, he made his debut for the franchise. In a subsequent match against the Multan Sultans, he took five wickets for four runs.

Afridi's international career progressed rapidly through various formats. He made his T20I debut against the West Indies on 3 April 2018. His ODI debut occurred on 21 September 2018, in a match against Afghanistan. He later debuted in Test cricket against New Zealand on 3 December 2018. During the 2019 Cricket World Cup, he became the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in a match by recording figures of 6/35 against Bangladesh.

In August 2021, he earned Player of the Match honors during a Test tour of the West Indies. He took 10 wickets for 94 runs in that match. This performance marked only the fourth time a Pakistan quick has taken ten wickets in a Test during the 21st century. By December 2021, he entered the top five of the ICC Test bowling rankings.

As a captain, he led the Lahore Qalandars to three Pakistan Super League titles in 2022, 2023, and 2025. This achievement made him the first captain to win three championships. In December 2024, he signed with Fortune Barishal and debuted on 30 December. He was also selected first overall by the Brisbane Heat for the 2025–26 Big Bash League season.

Personal life

Afridi is part of a sporting family; his cousin Yasir Afridi is a professional footballer who has represented the Pakistan national football team. In March 2021, he became engaged to Ansha Afridi, the daughter of Shahid Afridi. The couple married in a private nikah ceremony on 3 February 2023. Their first child, a son named Aliyaar Afridi, was born on 24 August 2024.

In July 2022, he was appointed as an honorary Deputy Superintendent of the Police (DSP) in the KP Police. He also served as a goodwill ambassador for the force. In January 2023, it was announced that he would design the new kits for the Lahore Qalandars for the 2023 PSL.

Awards and recognition

The International Cricket Council named him the rising star of the squad following the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He also received this distinction after the 2019 Cricket World Cup. In 2021, he was named the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. This honor made him the first Pakistani to win the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy.