'Red-ball cricket is always my first priority' - Shaheen Afridi expresses enthusiasm ahead of domestic first-class comeback
The 26-year-old left-arm pacer prepares for his first domestic first-class match since October 2019 as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) opens the President's Trophy on Saturday.
Shaheen Afridi is preparing for a significant return to domestic first-class cricket after an absence of nearly seven years. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer last played a red-ball match for Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) on October 28, 2019, against Southern Punjab in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. His comeback comes as KRL opens the President's Trophy Grade-I on Saturday, September 12, 2026, against Ghani Glass at Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has instructed Shaheen to return to domestic first-class cricket as a condition for earning his way back into the national Test squad. Shaheen was left out of Pakistan's recent squads for the West Indies tour and the ongoing England Test series, where Pakistan faced a 3-0 deficit heading into day four of the Edgbaston Test on Saturday, September 12, 2026.
"When I first played a first-class match in 2017 for KRL, that was quite a good debut. Red-ball cricket is always my first priority. I've always loved it. I didn't get enough time to play because of international cricket, but I haven't been playing much cricket the last couple of months. So it's an opportunity to play red-ball cricket," ESPNcricinfo reported Afridi as saying ahead of the kick-off of the domestic tournament today.
Shaheen's return after nearly seven years away
His first-class debut for KRL in 2017 was impressive, as he took 8 for 39 in the second innings. Since making his Pakistan Test debut in 2018, Shaheen has claimed 126 Test wickets across 34 matches, establishing himself as a key bowler in the longer format. However, the demands of international cricket across all three formats have limited his domestic red-ball appearances.
"I learned a lot from my elder brother Riaz Afridi, because he's played a lot of first-class cricket. In the longer format, the longer you spend time on the ground, the better it is for your confidence, and your lines and lengths get fine-tuned," Shaheen said.
Learning from family experience in the longer format
Shaheen said that he would try to bowl in the same way he did in Test matches, and urged fellow cricketers to play domestic cricket when they are not playing for the country.
"I'll try to bowl the same way in first-class cricket as I've bowled in Test cricket. I've not played red-ball cricket for the last few months. Before that, I'd been playing red-ball cricket continuously." Shaheen said.
"If you play international cricket, then coming back to domestic cricket can be challenging. Because you've been playing international cricket constantly in all three formats, it keeps you busy. When you're free, you should play domestic cricket," he added.
Shaheen's recent form in white-ball cricket has been strong. He led Pakistan Gold to victory in the National Champions Cup last month, finishing as the leading wicket-taker with 13 wickets, including a hat-trick in the final. The President's Trophy runs from September 12 to October 28, 2026, featuring eight teams competing in 28 four-day matches, with each team playing seven matches across the tournament.
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