Pakistan’s star pacer Shaheen Afridi is expecting his first child with his wife Ansha Afridi, potentially impacting his availability for the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh.
“Shaheen can miss Bangladesh Test matches due to childbirth. We can give him [some] rest if he wants to stay with his wife till then,” said the national side’s red-ball coach Jason Gillespie.
Shaheen and Ansha’s nikah was solemnised in February 2023 at the Zakaria Mosque in Karachi, with their wedding and valima ceremonies taking place later in September of the same year. The wedding ceremony, held on September 19 at a local hotel in Karachi, was attended by notable cricketers including Babar Azam, Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwer, Sohail Khan, and Tanveer Ahmed, among others. The valima was held in Islamabad on September 21.
The pacer’s expected absence comes as Pakistan gears up for a two-match Test series against Bangladesh in August. Shaheen has recently been in the spotlight following allegations of misbehavior with coaches and management staff. Reports suggest he had arguments with batting coach Mohammad Yousuf during Pakistan’s tour to England, just before the T20 World Cup 2024. Additionally, he was involved in a captaincy saga where he was replaced by Babar Azam as the white-ball skipper in March and subsequently turned down the vice-captaincy role offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the recently concluded T20 World Cup.
