The English county side Middlesex has signed Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi for the 2022 season.
The fast bowler will join up with the Middlesex squad for pre-season training in the spring and will remain with the club until mid-July when Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka is due to take place. In that time, he will be available for County Championship fixtures as well as the entirety of the Vitality Blast campaign, including the knockout stages of the tournament if Middlesex qualifies.
The fast bowler will be available for the county side for T20 and First-Class format. This will be his first appearance in a county championship, although Afridi has previously played T20 blast for Hampshire.
The Middlesex county side announced, “Middlesex are delighted to announce that Pakistan international pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi will join the Club for the 2022 season.”
The fast bowler will be available for the county side for T20 and First-Class format. This will be his first appearance in a county championship, although Afridi has previously played T20 blast for Hampshire.
The statement from the Middlesex management said, “Left-arm quick, Afridi, 21, will join up with the Middlesex squad in pre-season ahead of the start of the 2022 season, and will remain at Middlesex until he joins up with Pakistan for international duty in mid-July.”
Middlesex’s Chief Executive Andrew Cornish hailing the fast bowler said that Shaheen is a world-class pace bowler, and the team is excited about the fact that the pacer would be representing Middlesex in 2022.
Cornish added, “His signature was highly sought-after, and the fact that he has chosen to join Middlesex is a massive coup for us as a club and speaks volumes of our ambitions. Signing players of Shaheen’s caliber, who can add quality and experience to our existing squad, is a significant step towards us getting there.”
In a statement, the 21-year-old Shaheen Shah Afridi said that he was delighted after he was signed by Middlesex and that he would be looking forward to the adjustment with them.
Afridi said, “I am very excited to be playing for Middlesex next season. I know from my time in England they are a great county and to play at the home of cricket really will be a dream come true. I am looking forward to being part of the team and helping create a wonderful season for the club.”
