Shahid Afridi had endured a forgettable return to the Pakistan Super League as the Quetta Gladiators all-rounder got smashed for plenty in a match against Islamabad United in Karachi on Thursday. Afridi returned figures of 1/67 as Islamabad registered a comfortable 43-run win over the Gladiators.
Afridi came to bowl the seventh over and was taken for consecutive sixes by Colin Munro. His next was the most disciplined over of his first spell as Afridi was taken for 10 runs in the ninth over. After a break, Afridi returned to bowl the 14th over, where Azam Khan smashed him for 19 runs, including back-to-back sixes and a four.
The 19th over was the toughest for Afridi, as he got plonked for 20. Azam smoked Afridi for three sixes off the first four balls before the veteran cricketer added some semblance of respect to his bowling figures, getting Azam’s wicket off the penultimate ball of the over. He finished with a dot ball but couldn’t prevent himself from becoming the bowler with the most expensive spell in PSL history. Earlier, Shaheed Afridi had conceded 1/62 for the Lahore Qalandars in 2019, followed by Zafar Gohar's 0/65 last year.
Afridi’s night went from bad to worse. Any hopes of Afridi making up for his poor bowling with an impactful knock with the bat went up in smokes as the veteran batsman was dismissed for 4 off 8 balls as Shadab Khan completed a five-wicket-haul. Afridi was traded to Quetta Gladiators from Multan Sultans ahead of the start of the season.
{{/usCountry}}Afridi’s night went from bad to worse. Any hopes of Afridi making up for his poor bowling with an impactful knock with the bat went up in smokes as the veteran batsman was dismissed for 4 off 8 balls as Shadab Khan completed a five-wicket-haul. Afridi was traded to Quetta Gladiators from Multan Sultans ahead of the start of the season.
{{/usCountry}}"I am excited to join Quetta Gladiators, a side that has had a roller-coaster ride in the past few events despite winning the title in 2019. In my final PSL event, it will be my dream and wish to sign off with another PSL trophy after tasting success with Peshawar Zalmi in 2017. PSL is an event that encourages and inspires a player to give his very best. I will use the same motivation to help my team and put up performances that can help us achieve our event objectives," he had said.