Shaheen Afridi Quits Pakistan Squad Mid-Series in South Africa to Play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024-25

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Read Original Content: Shaheen Afridi Quits Pakistan Squad Mid-Series in South Africa to Play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024-25

Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, has skipped the ongoing Test series against South Africa and joined Fortune Barishal in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) 2024.

Earlier this year, Shaheen was dropped from the home Test series against England. Recently, Pakistan’s head coach and selector Aqib Javed stated that Shaheen was rested to manage his workload before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, reports suggest that Shaheen himself requested to be left out of the Test matches against South Africa and West Indies.

A day after Pakistan’s two-wicket loss to South Africa in the Test series, Shaheen made his debut in the BPL 2024. He featured in the opening match for Fortune Barishal against Durbar Rajshahi at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, Dhaka.

Shaheen Afridi’s Performance in BPL 2024 Opener

In his debut match, Afridi went wicketless, conceding 33 runs in his four overs. He began well, bowling three consecutive dot balls to Mohammad Haris in his first over without giving away any boundaries. However, Haris and Anamul Haque hit him for sixes in his second over, forcing Tamim Iqbal, Barishal’s skipper, to take him off the attack.

Afridi returned to bowl one over in the middle overs and later the penultimate over of the innings. During his spell, Yasir Ali and Ryan Burl struck boundaries, leaving Afridi without a wicket. Yasir’s unbeaten 94 off 47 balls powered Rajshahi to a total of 197/3.

Before joining the BPL, Afridi had a good run in Pakistan’s white-ball series against South Africa. In the T20Is, he took three wickets in the first game but remained wicketless in the second. In the ODI series, he shone with seven wickets, including a match-winning four-wicket haul in Cape Town.

Shaheen’s decision to play in the BPL has sparked discussions, especially since it comes during an important Test series for Pakistan. However, fans will hope to see him deliver impactful performances in the BPL while staying fit for future international challenges.

Read Original Content: Shaheen Afridi Quits Pakistan Squad Mid-Series in South Africa to Play for Fortune Barishal in BPL 2024-25

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