Shaheen Shah Afridi on Mitchell Starc: “I followed him to try to bowl many times the way he swung the ball. I can say he’s a role model for any youngster… he’s been the best for Australia for many years”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has admitted that he tries to swing the ball the same way Australia left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc does.
Afridi, who captains Pakistan’s ODI team, revealed that he has closely followed Starc’s career for years and aims to be just as dangerous with the new ball.
Continuing his praise, the 25-year-old said the Sydney-born quick has been “the best for Australia for many years,” highlighting Starc’s impact and longevity at the highest level.
“I followed him to try to bowl many times the way he swung the ball. I can say he’s a role model for any youngster… he’s been the best for Australia for many years,” he was quoted as saying by A Sports.
Afridi was recently in action in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he took eight wickets in five matches at an average of 22.37 and an economy rate of 10.52.
Pakistan managed to reach the Super Eights in the tournament, but were unable to proceed to the semi-finals.
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