Shaheen Shah Afridi: “Test cricket is real cricket and my favourite format. After 26, I’ll decide which formats I should continue playing or not, but I will play for Pakistan for as long as possible”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan ODI captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has revealed that he may retire from a certain format of the game when he turns 26.
Currently 25, it could mean that he will walk away from Tests, ODIs or T20Is in 2026.
It remains to be seen which format Afridi could give up, but it is unlikely to be Tests as he said it is “real cricket and my favourite format.”
“Test cricket is real cricket and my favourite format. After 26, I’ll decide which formats I should continue playing or not, but I will play for Pakistan for as long as possible,” he was quoted as saying on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Afridi was recently involved in Pakistan’s home series against South Africa and began by taking five wickets in two Tests at an average of 28.60.
He followed that up with four wickets in two T20Is at an average of 17.75 and an economy rate of 8.87.
He then made his debut as ODI captain and claimed three wickets in three games at an average of 38.
After the South Africa series, Pakistan played three ODIs against Sri Lanka, where Afridi snapped up one wicket in two games at an average of 86.
Pakistan will now join a T20I tri-series with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 18 to 29.
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem