Shaheen Afridi hits out at critics ahead of Bangladesh Tests

Pakistan pace bowling spearhead Shaheen Afridi has made it clear that he always prioritizes representing the Men in Green in international cricket.

Shaheen Afridi stated that he would never bring negativity into the Men in Green, highlighting his commitment to the Pakistan National Cricket Team.

Shaheen Afridi was last seen in action during the T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the United States of America (USA).

The Babar Azam-led team failed to advance to the Super 8 stages of the tournament. Notably, Pakistan suffered a shocking defeat to the USA in their first group-stage match.

The left-arm pacer picked up five wickets at an average of 21.00 and an economy rate of 6.56. His best performance came against Ireland in their last group-stage match, where he took three wickets for 22 runs.

Afridi could miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh later this month.

All My Teammates Are My Good Friends - Shaheen Afridi

Shaheen Afridi emphasized his loyalty to Pakistan and stated that all his teammates are good friends. He expressed his commitment to fighting for the Pakistan cricket team. Afridi highlighted that he would never bring negativity into the team environment.

"All my teammates are my good friends. I will always fight for my country because I came through the right pathway. Pakistan always comes first for me; I would never bring negativity into the team," said Afridi, as quoted by Farid Khan on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Shaheen Afridi said "All my teammates are my good friends. I will always fight for my country because I came through the right pathway. Pakistan always comes first for me; I would never bring negativity into the team" 🇵🇰❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/25Y7ghrgU3

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) August 5, 2024

Shaheen Afridi was appointed as Pakistan's T20I captain after Babar Azam stepped down from leadership roles following Pakistan's early exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup. Afridi led the team in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. However, Pakistan suffered a 4-1 loss to the Blackcaps earlier this year.

Shaheen was sacked from captaincy after just one series in international cricket. Babar was reinstated as skipper of the Pakistan white-ball teams leading up to the T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan Cricket Board To Take Action Against Shaheen Afridi?

Shaheen Afridi reportedly had a heated argument with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during Pakistan's tour of England and Ireland earlier this year. The young fast bowler also faced scrutiny for his lack of cooperation during the 2024 T20 World Cup, including allegedly refusing to attend team meetings.

Reports suggested that Afridi might face disciplinary action and be excluded from the Test series against Bangladesh. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that no disciplinary committee has been formed to take action against any cricketer. The PCB described such claims as fabricated.

The first match between Pakistan and Bangladesh is set to be played at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, starting on August 21. The second and final Test match will be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 30 to September 3. The series is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle.

Also read: Pakistan gets trashed by England as ECB rejects PCB's request just before Champions Trophy 2025