Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi’s struggles in the Big Bash League (BBL) continued as he endured another difficult outing for Brisbane Heat, this time against Adelaide Strikers at the Gabba on Saturday. Afridi was taken apart by Italian batter Harry Manenti before later limping off the field with a knee injury, triggering concern ahead of the T20 World Cup, now just six weeks away.
Afridi’s figures of 3 overs, 26 runs, 0 wickets only partially reflected his performance. He began well with the new ball, conceding just seven runs across his first two overs, showing good rhythm and control. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when he was reintroduced in the 12th over.
Matthew Short set the tone by dispatching a short delivery to the boundary before rotating strike. What followed was a brutal assault from Manenti, who smashed three consecutive boundaries, extracting 19 runs from the over and effectively derailing Afridi’s spell.
The situation worsened in the 14th over of the Strikers’ chase. While fielding at mid-on, Afridi sprinted after a straight drive from Jamie Overton but appeared to jar his knee during the chase. He was visibly in pain, limped off the field at the end of the over, and did not return to the match.
With the T20 World Cup looming, Pakistan will be anxiously monitoring Afridi’s fitness. Despite his current form slump, the left-arm quick remains a central figure in Pakistan’s plans as they chase their first ICC title since the 2017 Champions Trophy.
Afridi’s BBL campaign has been largely forgettable so far. In four matches, he has picked up just two wickets, averaging 76.50 with an economy rate of 11.19. Earlier in the season, during his debut game against Melbourne Renegades on December 15, he was even taken off the attack for bowling dangerously.
As for the match, Brisbane Heat posted a competitive 180 after being sent in to bat, thanks to Max Bryant’s explosive 63 off 32 balls. Adelaide skipper Matthew Short responded with a fighting 63 off 39, while Jerrssais Wadia’s quick 34 off 16 briefly threatened to swing the game. However, Heat held their nerve to bowl the Strikers out for 172, sealing victory with one ball remaining.
