Matt Renshaw: “Shaheen Shah Afridi is obviously a really talented player who has done so well in international cricket and T20 leagues worldwide”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Australia batsman Matt Renshaw has lauded Pakistan left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi, saying he is “obviously a really talented player”.
Afridi, who is Pakistan’s ODI captain, is considered to be the pace spearhead across all three formats.
Capable of hitting speeds of 140 kph, the 25-year-old has developed a reputation as one of the best new ball bowlers in the world as he has a habit of striking in the opening over.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi is obviously a really talented player who has done so well in international cricket and T20 leagues worldwide,” Renshaw, who played with Afridi for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL), was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Renshaw and Afridi also battled against each other when Australia toured Pakistan for three T20Is from January to February.
In that series, Afridi picked up two wickets in two matches at an average of 22.50 and an economy rate of 7.50. One of his wickets was actually that of Renshaw.
The talented left-armer is now in action in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he has claimed three wickets in three matches at an average of 33.66 and an economy rate of 11.22.
Pakistan are through to the Super Eights after triumphing over the Netherlands, United States of America and Namibia in the group stage. Their only loss came against India.
The men in green’s Super Eights campaign started on a damp note as their match against New Zealand was washed out.
Their next game will be against England on February 24 in Pallekele.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq