Watch: Shaheen Afridi marked his return from injury with a trademark stump-seeking special, bowling his Pakistan teammate Mohammad Rizwan with an inch-perfect yorker in the Pakistan Super League 2023 opener between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans.
Chasing 176 to win, Rizwan held the key for Multan Sultans, and he anchored the pursuit, cruising to 75 and only losing partner Shan Masood in the process.
Shaheen’s last game came in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup final defeat to England, in which he was unable to finish his quota of overs after injuring his knee in the field. Exactly three months since that day, he returned to action in the opening game of PSL 8.
With Lahore Qalandars’ defending, Shaheen didn’t locate his customary new-ball threat, going wicketless in his opening two overs. However, returning late in the game, he showed his class, delivering a pinpoint yorker to Rizwan. What’s more, he rolled his fingers over the ball, with the added variation foxing the opener.
Rizwan, having made room to go through the off-side, had no answer, with the ball striking leg stump.
The moment proved to be a turning point in the game. From needing under 10 an overs in the last five overs, a squeeze left Multan Sultans needing 29 from the last two. A late assault from Kieron Pollard pushed the game close, but with ten needed off two balls, Khushdil Shah could only manage a pair of boundaries, with Shaheen’s Lahore Qalandars winning by one run.
Watch the Shaheen yorker to Rizwan below:
Shaheen Afridi's last game came in the T20 World Cup final, exactly three months ago.
It's like he's never been away 🔥#PSL2023 pic.twitter.com/cJqnNRQffN
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) February 13, 2023
