Shaheen Afridi T20 Blast: Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club have announced that its white-ball team, Notts Outlaws, has signed Pakistan spearhead Shaheen Afridi for the upcoming T20 Blast 2023, which will commence from May 20. The club made a statement saying, “Notts Outlaws have secured the services of Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for the duration of the 2023 T20 Blast”. The left-armer quick and lower-order hitter did everything for Lahore Qalandars in the PSL has become the 2nd Outlaws’ overseas signing after New Zealand top-order batter Colin Munro. Follow T20 Blast LIVE Updates on INSIDESPORT.IN
Afridi (22), who burst onto the domestic scene with figures of 8-39 on Quaid-e-Azam Trophy debut, has 47 International T20 caps to his name, in addition to 25 Test and 32 One Day International appearances for his country. He also has 99 Test wickets and 62 ODI scalps to his name.
His 58 T20I wickets have come at an average of 22.37, whilst his 94 wickets for Lahore Qalandars, for whom he rose to prominence in 2018, have come at 20.75.
He has twice captained the franchise to titles in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), most recently earlier this month, where he struck a 15-ball 44* as his side wrapped up victory by one run in the showpiece final.
He also has previous T20 experience in England through a stint with Hampshire Hawks, and took 3-30 for the Men in Green as Pakistan defeated the Three Lions at Trent Bridge in the summer of 2021.
Shaheen Afridi after signing with Notts Outlaws
“Notts play an aggressive brand of cricket, which suits me well,” Afridi said.
“They have had great success in recent years and the likes of Alex Hales, Colin Munro and Joe Clarke are players I have faced up against in recent years and been impressed by. The goal is obviously to influence games to make the team as successful as possible,” he added.
“Having played at Trent Bridge, I know it is a fast-scoring ground and as a bowler, you need to get your line and lengths right, but you also get the rewards when you do that. It is definitely an exciting move for me, and one I am looking forward to,” said the pacer.
Shaheen Afridi to play for Nottinghamshire in Vitality Blast 2023. pic.twitter.com/iNSVTIiw2E
— Nawaz 🇵🇰 (@Rnawaz31888) March 30, 2023
“In Shaheen, we have got a world-class player, which is really exciting, and a player with a point of difference with the ball, which is crucial when we are looking to recruit,” Peter Moores, the Notts Outlaws coach, said.
“We are building from a strong platform, with a lot of very talented lads hungry to play T20, and Shaheen adds star quality and a different angle to that group. He has proven himself on big stages; he is fiercely passionate in the way he plays his cricket, and he will be hugely engaging for everyone to watch for that reason,” he added.
“We want to bounce back from last year’s campaign, and this signing invigorates the club; he makes impacts in big games, and is a box office player. Alongside Munro, who is one of the top run scorers in the history of the format, we have got two very unique talents, both of whom will play a big role for us as we look to bring back silverware,” Moores signed off saying.
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