Islamabad, Aug 27: Shaheen Afridi, who was formerly thought to be among the best pacers in world cricket, has greatly diminished. Pakistan has been extremely concerned with his remarkable decline in form as the Men in Green have found it difficult to produce memorable performances.
Since he worsened his knee injury following the 2022 T20 World Cup final and had to spend nearly a year on the treatment table, Shaheen Afridi’s career has taken a noticeable turn for the worse.
Prior to this disappointment, Shaheen had an outstanding record in Test cricket, taking 99 wickets in just 42 innings with an incredible average of 24.86, including four five-wicket hauls.
The Eagle’s injury came at an unfortunate time, severely impeding his ability to develop into one of Pakistan’s best bowlers. Following a lengthy recuperation period, Shaheen returned to the national team with the intention of reaching his peak and assisting in Pakistani match victories.
Since his injury, though, his performance has drastically declined; he has only taken 16 wickets in 10 innings at an average of 40.81, a higher economy rate, and no five-wicket hauls.
Shaheen Afridi Test Cricket stats:
| Pre-Injury | Post-Injury | |
| Innings | 42 | 10 |
| Wickets | 99 | 16 |
| Average | 24.86 | 40.81 |
| Best Figures | 6/51 | 4/76 |
| 5fers | 4 | 0 |
| Economy Rate | 3.04 | 3.41 |
Shaheen Afridi’s declining form was evident in the recently concluded 2024 T20 World Cup, where he secured just five wickets in four matches, with an average of 21.00—a stark contrast to his pre-injury form. Shaheen’s struggles have been further highlighted by the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh, where he managed to claim two wickets but conceded 88 runs. His first wicket came after bowling 27.5 overs in the innings, which did not bode well for the Men in Green.
Adding to the physical injury, Shaheen has been front and centre of the ongoing ‘politics within the national side, which might have led to a toll on his mental health. In November 2023, Shaheen took over as Pakistan’s T20I team captain, succeeding Babar Azam.
Following a change of leadership for the thirteenth time in the PCB, Shaheen Afridi was dismissed as captain after just one series, in which Pakistan lost 3-1 against New Zealand. Babar Azam was then reappointed as the limited-overs captain by the new chairman, Mohsin Naqvi.
