Shaheen Shah Afridi was born on April 6, 2000, in Landi Kotal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. He belongs to the Zakhakhel Afridi tribe of the Pashtuns. He is the youngest of seven brothers; his eldest brother, Riaz Afridi, played a solitary Test match for Pakistan in 2004. His cousin Yasir Afridi is a professional footballer who has represented the Pakistan national football team.
Afridi grew up in a remote village near the border with Afghanistan. He had a difficult childhood, as his family struggled to make ends meet. However, he was passionate about cricket from a young age. He would often play with his brothers and friends using a tennis ball.
Afridi is a devout Muslim. He is also very close to his family. He is currently dating Ansha Afridi, the daughter of former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi.
Afridi is also a very popular figure in Pakistan. He is known for his humble and down-to-earth personality. He is also a role model for many young cricketers in the country.
Afridi started his cricket career from the Tatara Ground in Landi Kotal. He was introduced to hard-ball cricket at the FATA Under-16 trials in 2015. He was selected for the Under-16 tour of Australia in November 2015, where he played his part with four wickets in the 2–1 victories in the One-Day and Twenty20 series.
In 2016, Afridi was selected for the Pakistan Under-19 team for the 2016 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He was one of the leading bowlers for the team, taking 11 wickets in the tournament.
Afridi made his international debut for Pakistan in a T20I match against the West Indies on April 3, 2018. He took his first international wicket in that match, dismissing Lendl Simmons.
Afridi made his ODI debut for Pakistan against Ireland on May 16, 2018. He took one wicket in that match, dismissing George Dockrell.
Afridi made his Test debut for Pakistan against Australia on December 7, 2018. He took five wickets in that match, including the wickets of Steve Smith and David Warner.
Afridi has played 55 ODIs for Pakistan, taking 108 wickets at an average of 23.61. He has taken five wickets in an ODI match on five occasions. His best bowling performance in an ODI match is 6/35 against the West Indies in 2021.
Test Career
Afridi has played 25 Tests for Pakistan, taking 99 wickets at an average of 25.34. He has taken five wickets in a Test match on eight occasions. His best bowling performance in a Test match is 6/51 against Australia in 2021.
Afridi is the youngest Pakistani bowler to take 100 wickets in Test cricket. He is also the youngest Pakistani bowler to take 50 wickets in T20I cricket.
Afridi was named the ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2019. He was also named the PCB Cricketer of the Year in 2021.
ICC Emerging Cricketer of the Year (2019) PCB Cricketer of the Year (2021) PCB Most Improved Player of the Year (2020) PCB Test Bowler of the Year (2021) PCB ODI Bowler of the Year (2021) PCB T20I Bowler of the Year (2021) Captaincy Stints
Afridi has not yet captained Pakistan at any level. However, he has been tipped as a future captain of the national team.
In 2022, Afridi was involved in a controversy when he was accused of ball-tampering during a Test match against England. However, he was cleared of all charges by the ICC.