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Shaheen Shah Afridi signs for Bangladesh Premier League side Dhaka Dynamites

hadi123

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">17 year old FATA pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has signed for Dhaka Dynamites in the BPL <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/ExRgvnzjYg">pic.twitter.com/ExRgvnzjYg</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/906832777336717314">September 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
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This is the first instance I've seen of a T20 franchise signing such a raw and unknown foreign talent.
 
This is the first instance I've seen of a T20 franchise signing such a raw and unknown foreign talent.

Not uncommon

PSL had Malan, Vince, Chris Green types

Ipl has had many Aussies
 
Up coming left armer from Pakistan. A bit raw but has the tools to go big (at least from what I've seen of him).

Needs 2 years in a pro setup for core skills development TBH.

Better for him to play domestic rather than warn the bench at the BPL
 
Worse decision of his young career. Now, he'll warm bench & his mental growth will be limited to a 4 overs joke - that's fast bowling all about trying not to get spanked for 24 balls and if one can do that, he is a hero. How this guy is going to realize the value of running 5k just to warm up and then bowl 2 hours at nets twice a day - finally bowl 23 overs in a day - fast, hostile & relentless?

Ideally, every board should block any fast bowler from any T20 till 21; batsmen & spinners till 23. If I had the power, I would have made that 23 & 25 respectively.
 
Worse decision of his young career. Now, he'll warm bench & his mental growth will be limited to a 4 overs joke - that's fast bowling all about trying not to get spanked for 24 balls and if one can do that, he is a hero. How this guy is going to realize the value of running 5k just to warm up and then bowl 2 hours at nets twice a day - finally bowl 23 overs in a day - fast, hostile & relentless?

Ideally, every board should block any fast bowler from any T20 till 21; batsmen & spinners till 23. If I had the power, I would have made that 23 & 25 respectively.

Not to worry. He's going to play PSL, there he has better mentors in every team.

If he goes to

Multan: great WASIM

Karachi: Azhar Mahmoud, Amir

Lahore: He won't go as they bring their own emerging players from trials

Peshawar: Akram, Hassan, Junaid, Wahab(It is said he'll be playing for Zalmi)

Islamabad: Irfan, Sami

Quetta: Razzaq, Gul
 
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What a move for him.

Dhaka taking a risk but good on them for giving the lad a chance.
 
Worse decision of his young career. Now, he'll warm bench & his mental growth will be limited to a 4 overs joke - that's fast bowling all about trying not to get spanked for 24 balls and if one can do that, he is a hero. How this guy is going to realize the value of running 5k just to warm up and then bowl 2 hours at nets twice a day - finally bowl 23 overs in a day - fast, hostile & relentless?

Ideally, every board should block any fast bowler from any T20 till 21; batsmen & spinners till 23. If I had the power, I would have made that 23 & 25 respectively.

You have a valid point but he will have a wonderful experience mixing up with and learning from international player and playing in pressure situation.
 
You have a valid point but he will have a wonderful experience mixing up with and learning from international player and playing in pressure situation.

Not sure how many matches he'll play. Also, I don't think T20 is the place for learning pressure situation - in that case Afridi, Gayle, AB won't have been T20 supesters.

But yes, great exposure, money and practice facilities with international player is a great opportunity.
 
I disagree with the nay-sayers.

If you're good enough, you're old enough.

The last time Pakistan had such an exciting teenage pace bowling prospect was the 17 year old Wasim Akram in late 1984 and early 1985.

Wasim was electrifying, in part because he was around 10-15K faster than Mohammad Amir was when he emerged, and much taller too.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is the first young Pakistani fast bowler to have such an impact upon me since, because he's genuinely quick and genuinely tall.

Waqar Younis emerged in mid-1989 and was quick, but his age was clearly not believable even then.

Aaqib Javed had emerged 6 months earlier, but his pace was so gentle that it was hard to get excited.

Mohammad Amir emerged in mid-2009, but he couldn't sustain spells of fast bowling, his age was dodgy and he wasn't tall enough to make it at the very highest level.

Shaheen Shah Afridi may crash and burn. But he has the height and he has the pace, and he thrills me.
 
Good for him and quite surprised that a nobody has been selected by a foreign t20 league. Hope he gets a few games.
 
The team that picked him has 14 foreign players. I don't understand how a team is allowed to have 14 foreign players

It's a good outing for the lad but he won't be picked for any matches
 
I disagree with the nay-sayers.

If you're good enough, you're old enough.

The last time Pakistan had such an exciting teenage pace bowling prospect was the 17 year old Wasim Akram in late 1984 and early 1985.

Wasim was electrifying, in part because he was around 10-15K faster than Mohammad Amir was when he emerged, and much taller too.

Shaheen Shah Afridi is the first young Pakistani fast bowler to have such an impact upon me since, because he's genuinely quick and genuinely tall.

Waqar Younis emerged in mid-1989 and was quick, but his age was clearly not believable even then.

Aaqib Javed had emerged 6 months earlier, but his pace was so gentle that it was hard to get excited.

Mohammad Amir emerged in mid-2009, but he couldn't sustain spells of fast bowling, his age was dodgy and he wasn't tall enough to make it at the very highest level.

Shaheen Shah Afridi may crash and burn. But he has the height and he has the pace, and he thrills me.

Indeed - that's why I want him to sweat in FC matches. Do you think, is a certain Wasim Akram was paid $35 at 18, for bowling 4 overs - he would have ended as Wasim Akram? Here $35K isn't issue - may be $3,500 was par that time - but key is the hard work that Wasim put at teen age - from Islamia College to PAK colors to Lancashire.

I have no issues for this kid to get paid big bucks & enjoy stardom; but PCB must protect him before his taste is perverted. He hasn't even played in FC cricket and one T20 franchise in BD has haired him, not exactly from the passion or love of building a PAK pacer - they'll just sell hype around him:(
 
A good learning opportunity for him and a chance to get a PSL contract.
 
Worse decision of his young career. Now, he'll warm bench & his mental growth will be limited to a 4 overs joke - that's fast bowling all about trying not to get spanked for 24 balls and if one can do that, he is a hero. How this guy is going to realize the value of running 5k just to warm up and then bowl 2 hours at nets twice a day - finally bowl 23 overs in a day - fast, hostile & relentless?

Ideally, every board should block any fast bowler from any T20 till 21; batsmen & spinners till 23. If I had the power, I would have made that 23 & 25 respectively.

I think it's an excellent decision.

He gains immediate exposure (easier to sign PSL contract) and makes money.

Especially in PAK's domestic setup where talent is left to rot without connections.
 
Most of such bowlers are Youtube bowlers and moment they step on the actual stage they are trundling in 130s
 
I'm really excited about this guy, looks an amazing prospect, and rubbing shoulders with international stars will do him the world of good.

When is he scheduled to play in the BPL? Also, will he actually play? In his team, who are the other fast bowlers, and is he likely to climb above them in the pecking order?

He also, whilst bowling well, didn't exactly set the world alight with performances in the recently concluded U19 Asia Cup. Perhaps we need to calm our expectations of him...
 
Most of such bowlers are Youtube bowlers and moment they step on the actual stage they are trundling in 130s

Looked good in the recent U19 Asia Cup.

Very talented.

Just needs to refine a few things as expected at his age.
 
I'm really excited about this guy, looks an amazing prospect, and rubbing shoulders with international stars will do him the world of good.

When is he scheduled to play in the BPL? Also, will he actually play? In his team, who are the other fast bowlers, and is he likely to climb above them in the pecking order?

He also, whilst bowling well, didn't exactly set the world alight with performances in the recently concluded U19 Asia Cup. Perhaps we need to calm our expectations of him...

Lewis, Delport, Sanga, Pollard, Narine, Rashid, Afridi, Amir are some of the other overseas players in his side. Will be tough for him to get a game.

I think Beaton (WI pacer) is in the squad and he hasn't got a game yet either.
 
From the video posted looks really promising talent.. How come Pakistan keeps producing such talented left hand fast bowlers? Everyone wants to be Wasim as a kid?
 
From the video posted looks really promising talent.. How come Pakistan keeps producing such talented left hand fast bowlers? Everyone wants to be Wasim as a kid?
Just like in America where everybody wants to be Like Mike, everybody in Pakistan wants to be the Sultan of Swing.
 
Not to worry. He's going to play PSL, there he has better mentors in every team.

If he goes to

Multan: great WASIM

Karachi: Azhar Mahmoud, Amir

Lahore: He won't go as they bring their own emerging players from trials

Peshawar: Akram, Hassan, Junaid, Wahab(It is said he'll be playing for Zalmi)

Islamabad: Irfan, Sami

Quetta: Razzaq, Gul

Lol he literally went to Lahore
And they have Shoaib akhtar and Aqib Javed to work on him
Plus experience of Mitchell McClenaghan and Mustafizur Rehman
 
Kid should have stayed in PAK & play the NT20 cup - there is no better medicine than playing in the middle for young pacers. Also, his choice of BPL team was wrong - DD has all the money & connections to bring so many players, but surprisingly, they are still not sure about top 2 finish, therefore kid is not going to get a single match.
 
At least he is training with the high quality coaching staff and other international team members
I guess it will give him some thing at least
 
He is a medium pacer as his cricinfo profile suggests as there is just hype that he is the next big thing based on the 8/39 he took on his FC debut a few months back.

We all have seen how the bowlers in FC are doing with bowling out teams on the first day for less than a 100 with bowlers like Waqas Maqsood getting 9 wickets who do not even look international quality.

Let's keep the hype to a minimum and see how he progresses but ideally they should have kept him in the National T20 as in BPL it was very much likely he would not feature with the bunch of players the team he got into had.
 
He is a medium pacer as his cricinfo profile suggests as there is just hype that he is the next big thing based on the 8/39 he took on his FC debut a few months back.

We all have seen how the bowlers in FC are doing with bowling out teams on the first day for less than a 100 with bowlers like Waqas Maqsood getting 9 wickets who do not even look international quality.

Let's keep the hype to a minimum and see how he progresses but ideally they should have kept him in the National T20 as in BPL it was very much likely he would not feature with the bunch of players the team he got into had.

It was more than the 8/39.

He was doing well at the U-19 level before joining KRL.
 
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He is a medium pacer as his cricinfo profile suggests

Yeah I wouldn't take those profiles too seriously... for example, Junaid Khan is listed as left-arm fast.

Anyway, based on evidence from recent videos, he doesn't look too pacy. But with his height, it's not really a must. Even 135kph will be tough to face if he can bowl a tight line as he will generate extra bounce anyway.

He has plenty of time to develop so let's see how he goes. People who want him to be included in the team straight away need to be realistic; it's not happening...
 
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[MENTION=143023]SarfiBabarHaris[/MENTION] what do you think of Shaheen?
 
I'd rather he was getting some cricket under his belt in the QeA Trophy rather than carrying the drinks at the BPL.

Is it really benefitting him to be sat there watching cricket from the bench, carrying towels and drinks.
 
Some people here start hyping a player like there is no tmw and just by his first look start bashing the same guy all around.

To me there is a lots of potential to work with.

17 years old 6ft6-7 left arm bowler with good rythmetic, repeatable action, good seem and body positioning and pace around 135kph (May be more) is a dream for any coach to work with.

More importantly the guy's attitude is amazing, you can see it in his eyes that he wants to improve and become a better bowler like what we have seen in Hassan Ali.

Overall I wanna say that there is something about him.
 
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Getting the bucks there while warming the bench

But, if he bunks FC cricket for these jokes, in near future he'll be warming bench only, without bucks. He has a 20 years career in front - this time it's acceptable for the 1st mistake, but in future kid has to be very, very, very much careful about his career plan.
 
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