Shaheen Afridi
Shaheen Afridi - Pakistani cricket bowler
Shaheen Afridi is a gifted left-arm fast bowler, former captain, and a key figure of Pakistan’s national cricket team across all formats: Tests, ODIs, and Twenty20Is. As captain of the Lahore Qalandars, he has led the franchise to three Pakistan Super League titles. Let’s take a closer look at this standout talent of Pakistani and world cricket.
Shaheen Shah Afridi: Professional Career
Afridi was born on 6 April 2000 in Landi Kotal, a small town near the Afghan border, into a large Pashtun family. His older brother, Riaz, who is 15 years his senior and a former professional cricketer, sparked Shaheen’s interest in the game and became a mentor for the rising star. At age 14, Shaheen decided to go all-in on cricket: with his parents’ blessing, he left school and moved to Peshawar to level up his skills.
Standing at 190 cm with a rare blend of speed and power, Shaheen Afridi quickly drew the attention of Pakistan’s youth selectors. His early rise accelerated in November 2015, when he travelled to Australia with the Pakistan Under-16 side and returned from the tour unbeaten. The following year, he stepped into first-class cricket with Khan Research Laboratories against Rawalpindi Region, he delivered record-breaking figures for any Pakistani making a first-class debut.
His progression to the senior level soon became inevitable.
- On April 3, he appeared in his first T20 International, facing the West Indies.
- On September 21, he made his ODI debut in a match against Afghanistan.
- On December 3, he entered Test cricket against New Zealand.
By April 2019, Afridi had earned a place in Pakistan’s World Cup squad, and the ICC highlighted him as one of the nation’s most promising young talents. His influence kept growing at both the international level and with the Lahore Qalandars. In December 2021, he broke into the ICC’s Top 5 Test bowlers, and in 2023 he rose to No. 1 in the ICC ODI bowling rankings – a position he reclaimed again in November 2024.
Today, Shaheen Afridi remains a key figure for Pakistan and serves as captain of the Lahore Qalandars, guiding the franchise to PSL championships in 2022, 2023 and 2025.
Shaheen Shah Afridi: Personal Life & Fun Facts
In March 2021, Shaheen got engaged to Ansha Afridi, the daughter of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi. The wedding took place on 3 February 2023 in a private nikah ceremony. The marriage drew massive media attention thanks to the connection between two iconic cricketing families and was widely covered by Pakistani outlets and sports platforms. In August 2024, Shaheen and Ansha welcomed their son, named Aliyar.
A few interesting facts about the fast-bowling superstar:
- Shaheen in Persian refers to a specific type of falcon, which inspired his popular nickname, “The Falcon“;
- When he’s off the cricket field, Shaheen enjoys swimming and playing tennis.
- He’s a passionate traveler, and his favorite city in the world is London;
- He’s a big football fan, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo among his favorite players;
- In 2025, Shaheen’s estimated player valuation stands at around USD $7-$8 million.
Shaheen Afridi tends to keep his private life low-key, yet he maintains official social media pages, including his YouTube channel “ShahidAfridiChannel ” and his Instagram account @ishaheenafridi10, both boasting millions of followers.
To wrap things up, below is the complete statistics table of this undeniably exceptional Pakistani cricketer.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Bat Avg | Top Score | Balls | Wickets | Bowl Avg | Best Bowl | Catches |
| Test | 33 | 256 | 7.75 | 29 | 6,245 | 120 | 27.35 | 6/51 | 3 |
| ODI | 66 | 272 | 13.60 | 25 | 3,372 | 131 | 24.28 | 6/35 | 16 |
| T20I | 92 | 298 | 14.90 | 33 | 1,995 | 118 | 21.66 | 4/22 | 24 |
| FC | 41 | 377 | 8.97 | 29 | 7,925 | 160 | 26.18 | 8/39 | 6 |
