Shaheen Shah Afridi, born on April 6, 2000, is a left-arm fast-medium bowler for the Pakistan national cricket team. With his rapid rise in international cricket, he has captured the attention of the world. At just 25 years of age, he already boasts of over 120 Test wickets, over 130 ODI wickets and over 100 T20 International wickets. His tall build, ability to swing the new ball and ability to bowl effective death overs, all make him one of Pakistan’s most exciting talents in decades. This blog tells about Shaheen’s early life, biography, career, major records, etc.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was born on April 6, 2000, in Khyber Agency, a tribal region of Pakistan (now part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). He was the youngest in a large family. Cricket was his early hobby, although his first experience was tennis-ball cricket on rough surfaces. His elder brother Riaz Afridi, a Pakistani cricketer who had played one Test match, served as a mentor and inspiration. Shaheen’s left-arm pace and height gave him an unusual advantage from the start. He progressed quickly through the youth levels and domestic leagues. His progress was aided by the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he attracted attention with his raw bounce, pace and lethal death bowling skills.
Shaheen made his T20 International debut for Pakistan against West Indies at the National Stadium in Karachi on 3 April 2018. He impressed with his pace and aggression in the power-play. Later in 2018, he made his ODI debut against Afghanistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on 21 September 2018. He also made his Test debut against New Zealand at the Sheikh Zayed on 3 December 2018.
Since entering international cricket, Shaheen has shown that he is not only a promising talent but also a match-winner. His early performances in ICC events and bilateral series made the selection a certainty rather than a gamble.
| Format | Matches | Innings | NO | Runs | HS | Average | Strike Rate | Ducks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 33 | 45 | 10 | 256 | 29 | 7.31 | 42.89 | 12 |
| ODIs | 66 | 38 | 18 | 272 | 25 | 13.60 | 85.81 | 6 |
| T20s | 92 | 35 | 15 | 298 | 33 | 14.90 | 129.01 | 6 |
| Format | Matches | Innings | Balls | Runs | Wickets | Best Innings | Avg | Econ | SR | 5w | 10w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 33 | 56 | 6,401 | 3,378 | 121 | 6/51 | 27.92 | 3.17 | 52.9 | 4 | 1 |
| ODIs | 66 | 65 | 3,372 | 3,181 | 131 | 6/35 | 24.28 | 5.66 | 25.74 | 3 | 0 |
| T20s | 92 | 92 | 1,995 | 2,557 | 118 | 4/22 | 21.67 | 7.69 | 16.91 | 0 | 0 |
Shaheen participates in various franchise leagues worldwide:
His ability to bowl the new ball with left-arm angle, skid-through, and bowl yorkers in the death make him highly sought after in franchise cricket.
Although exact figures vary, Shaheen’s net worth is estimated to be in the range of USD 5–10 million through central contracts, endorsements, and prize money. As of this writing, there is limited public information about his personal life, marital status, or partner. Pakistani cricketers often keep their personal lives private, and Shaheen focuses on his cricket first.
Shaheen is still only 25 years old, so his career is heading in a strong direction. If he maintains his fitness and form, he could become one of Pakistan’s all-time great pace bowlers. His legacy is likely to include being a key part of Pakistan’s attack. And his figures, especially in the limited-overs format, have really shone.
Afridi’s story is already remarkable: from a young left-arm fast bowler from Khyber Agency to becoming a key part of Pakistan’s bowling attack. His stats, physical talent, skill and youth give him a bright future. While obstacles remain, for example, adapting to different formats, his foundation is strong. If he stays on this path, Shaheen Afridi has the potential to become a legend of Pakistani and international fast bowling.
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Shaheen first represented Pakistan in a T20I against the West Indies in April 2018. A few months later, he played an ODI in September 2018 and made his Test debut in December 2018.
His combination of youth, height, left-arm pace, ability to swing the new ball and bowl yorkers makes him a rare find. He provides new ball strikes and death bowling reliability in franchise leagues.
Although exact figures are private, his net worth is estimated to be around US$5-10 million. His profile includes a central contract with the PCB, league wins, endorsements and brand deals.
Some of his achievements include taking over 130 ODI wickets at an average of 24. Along with that, a strike rate of less than 26, taking five wickets multiple times in both Tests and ODIs despite being young are also some of his major achievements.
Fast bowlers often face fitness issues amid injuries and challenges in managing workload.