Shahid Afridi doesn’t want his daughters to take up cricket

Shahid Afridi is undoubtedly one of the greatest cricketers Pakistan has ever produced. With a truckload of runs and wickets under his belt, the all-rounder tasted success in all three formats of the sport. He retired from international cricket after the charity match last year for the World XI at Lord’s, yet his legacy remains and many aspiring cricketers look up to him for inspiration.

However, the Khyber Agency-born cricketer doesn’t want his daughters to take up cricket as their professional careers. The enigmatic cricketer has four daughters- Aqsa, Asmara, Ansha and Ajwa- and Shahid said his children have the permission to play any sport of their preference, but not cricket owing to some ‘social and religious reasons’ and their mother, Nadia Afridi, also agrees to the same.

The experienced campaigner wrote about the same in his recently launched biography ‘Game Changer’. Afridi also talked about the ‘Shahid Afridi Foundation, established in March 2014, aimed at improving the lives of the underprivileged. Afridi mentioned that one of his daughters, Ansha, wants to help him with the operations of the Foundation after she completes her studies.

They have my permission to play any sport

“Over the years, I became father to four daughters — Aqsa, Ajwa, Asmara and Ansha. Truth be told, with the birth of each, my luck kept on improving. Daughters are a blessing. They really are. Aqsa is in the 10th grade, Ansha is in the ninth. They’re both great at sports and even better in academics. Ansha wants to help out with the Shahid Afridi Foundation after she completes her studies,” Afridi wrote.

“Ajwa and Asmara are the youngest and love to play dress-up. They have my permission to play any sport, as long as they’re indoors. Cricket? No, not for my girls. They have permission to play all the indoor games they want, but my daughters are not going to be competing in public sporting activities.

It’s for social and religious reasons that I’ve made this decision and their mother agrees with me. The feminists can say what they want; as a conservative Pakistani father, I’ve made my decision,” he added.

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