Shaheen Shah Afridi fancies chances of earning a Test spot

Shaheen Shah Afridi headed into the HBL Pakistan Super League as one of the most exciting young prospects with his Lahore Qalandars’ coach Aaqib Javed declaring him the next best thing for Pakistan cricket.  However, his PSL outings were forgettable as he went wicketless against Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators, and Karachi Kings and was relegated to the bench.

After six consecutive losses, the Qalandars won its first game in this edition and the 17-year-old was the chief architect for the side with excellent figures of 5 for 4 against Table toppers Multan Sultans. On the way to the stadium, team manager Rana Sameen asked Shaheen whether he was ready to deliver.

“Sameen bhai asked me what will I do today and I told him that I’ll take five wickets,” Shaheen said after flattening Multan with figures of 5-4 that allowed Lahore to secure their first win in PSL 3.

Feels great to win our first match in the PSL: Afridi

“It feels great that we have won our first match in PSL,” Shaheen said.When asked why he was unable to click in the first three games, he replied: “This is the first time I have played Twenty20 cricket. That was the reason why I couldn’t click on the earlier games,” said Shaheen, who is the younger brother of Riaz Afridi, a former Pakistan Test player.

Shaheen said that Riaz helped him in his quest to become a world-class bowler. “I Got tips from my elder brother. Then at NCA Mudassar bhai helped me. I also got help from Waqar bhai and Wasim bhai,” he said.

Shaheen, who showed that he was a promising young prospect even during the U-19 World Cup, hopes that he will get a chance to play for Pakistan especially in the longest format of the game.“I personally like Test cricket,” he said., as reported by The News International.

Rana Sameen, meanwhile, said that there was this sense of relief in the Lahore camp after the team finally ended its losing streak, more so, after its skipper, Brendon McCullum offered to step down.

“There is relief more than joy. It’s a united team and there are too many emotions attached. It’s been a difficult journey. We play for pride. Everybody was trying to give their best but there were some mistakes.”