Big Blow For Pakistan Ahead Of T20 World Cup? Shaheen Afridi Limps Off The Field In BBL
Shaheen Afridi's performance in the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat has not been up to the mark so far
Shaheen Afridi's performance in the Big Bash League for Brisbane Heat has not been up to the mark so far. On Saturday, the left-arm pacer conceded 19 runs in an over, with Australian-born Italian batter Harry Manenti going bonkers in the Brisbane Heat vs Adelaide Strikers clash at the Gabba in Brisbane. To make matters worse, Afridi suffered a knee injury and limped off the field. With the T20 World Cup starting in six weeks' time, this is bound to raise Pakistan's concerns.
The injury occurred in the 14th over of the Strikers' chase as Jamie Overton smacked one off Xavier Bartlett straight down the ground. Afridi, at mid-on, sprinted to catch the ball but hurt his knee in the process. Afridi looked to be in discomfort and limped off the field. He couldn't complete his quota of overs.
Shaheen Afridi left the ground in some discomfort, hoping for a quick recovery#BBL15 pic.twitter.com/lVjPqPBbIE
— KFC Big Bash League (@BBL) December 27, 2025
Earlier, nothing seemed to go right for Shaheen Afridi on the day he began his Big Bash League career on December 15. He was taken out of the attack for dangerous bowling during Brisbane Heat's clash with the Melbourne Renegades at Simonds Stadium. In the 18th over of the first innings, the Pakistani fast bowler's night fell apart when he bowled two waist-high full tosses - one to Tim Seifert and another to Ollie Peake. The umpires deemed the deliveries dangerous, forcing Afridi to stop bowling and leaving Heat captain Nathan McSweeney to complete the final two balls of the over.
Afridi could only smile wryly as he walked off, and his debut spell ended prematurely with figures of 0 for 43 from 2.4 overs. The over proved costly, yielding 15 runs and including three no-balls, adding to an already difficult outing that also featured two wides.
The left-arm bowler had arrived in the BBL amid great anticipation, with fellow Pakistan international Mohammad Rizwan also making his tournament debut for the Renegades.
Shaheen Afridi
Pakistan Cricket Team