Shaheen Afridi

One of the best prospects in fast bowling around the world at the moment, Shaheen Afridi is a left-arm pace bowler who possesses the ability to bowl consistently at speeds in the high-80s. He also is a useful man with the bat and his tall stature of 6 feet 6 inches enables him to get extra pace and bounce when he bowls.

Shaheen Shah Afridi made his first-class debut for Khan Research Laboratories in 2017, which ended up as a debut to remember for the young bowler. He took 8 wickets in the second innings and gave away just 39 runs in his 15 overs. His PSL debut was nothing short of exemplary as he picked up 5 wickets for just 4 runs for the Lahore Qalandars in a group match. Those kinds of performances were bound to gain attention and he was soon called up to the squad to face West Indies in April 2018. He was also a part of the 2018 Under-19 World Cup squad where he was the best bowler for his team with 12 wickets to his name.

Soon after, in September 2018, Afridi made his ODI debut in the Asia Cup against Afghanistan. Shaheen continued his big strides in international cricket and made his Test debut against New Zealand in December 2018. His consistent performances meant that he was always in the side and Afridi was also picked for the 2019 edition of the ICC World Cup. He had a good tournament in England as he bagged 16 wickets but he picked up very few wickets against the big sides.

In December 2019, during the second Test match against Sri Lanka, Afridi took his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He also made a couple of appearances against Bangladesh in T20Is in January 2020 and was very economical. Afridi has also been selected for Pakistan's tour of England post the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown in August 2020 and he will be looking to make some strides in the longest format of the game. He has plenty of time on his side and has already mastered the trade of fast bowling. Pakistan have produced quality fast bowlers throughout their time in cricket and Shaheen Afridi is the latest one to join the ranks.