National T20 Cup 2021: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Shaheen Shah Afridi hands ducks to Northern’s Ali Imran, Haider Ali

Due to the cancellation of the limited-overs series against New Zealand and England, Pakistan players have faced the issue of having to prepare for the T20 World Cup 2021 by playing in the National T20 Cup. The six-team domestic T20 competition is currently going on and there have been concerns with the forms of some players. Well, that isn’t the case for Shaheen Shah Afridi. 

The left-arm pacer is enjoying a good time with his domestic side, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. His performances have been a key reason his team has been successful this season, winning four out of their five matches. Afridi started the sixth game for his team with a fantastic first over against Northern. 

Back to back full-length balls help Shaheen Shah Afridi start off brilliantly

He bowled a full-length delivery, almost a yorker, to Ali Imran. The batter wasn’t able to get his bat down on time and the ball crashed on the pads. The umpire gave it a leg before wicket. Next in came, Haider Ali at no. 3, who once again got a fuller delivery which swung back in.

He missed the line of the ball and got bowled. In no time, Shaheen had done what everyone expects out of him every time. He bowled two overs in his first spell and ended with figures of 2 for 9. 

SENSATIONAL @iShaheenAfridi 🔥🔥 🔥
Opening over destruction!! Ali Imran and Haider Ali sent packing for ducks.#KPvNOR Live: https://t.co/ILV6gHOHSC#NationalT20Cup | #KhelTouHoRahaHai pic.twitter.com/HkojRwJJyl

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) October 3, 2021

Speaking of his form in the event so far, he now has 12 wickets from six games, making him the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. It should also be noted that at the time of writing this, Afridi still has two overs to be bowled in the game between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern. 

His bowling average has been 15.41 while his economy rate has been 8.40. His bowling strike rate has been 11, which means he is picking a wicket, less than every two overs. His figures in the five completed matches have been 3 for 25, 3 for 34, 2 for 29, 0 for 48, and 2 for 30.

Going into the T20 World Cup 2021, he will be one of the more important players in the Pakistan team. What is worrying is the bowlers who have been selected, Haris Rauf, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, all have failed to set the stage on fire.