Pakistan’s fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has obtained a No Objection کہcepc (NOC) from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), authorising his participation in this year’s Lanka Premier League (LPL).
The left‑arm pacer is set to make his franchise debut in Sri Lanka, where he will play for the Kandy Royals, according to Cricinfo.
The LPL will run from 17 July to 8 August, with the Royals opening their campaign on 18 July against the Dambulla Sixers.
Afridi’s move to the LPL follows his omission from Pakistan’s Test sides in the current series against the West Indies and England, after a less successful spell in the longest format. With the Test commitments overlapping the LPL window, the 26‑year‑old will focus on the franchise competition.
Pakistan selector and High‑Performance Director Aaqib Javed has suggested a shift in Afridi’s priorities toward limited‑overs cricket.
“A player has to pick which format he wants to play,” he was quoted as saying by Cricinfo.
Afridi has been selected for Pakistan’s white‑ball camp at the National Cricket Academy, even as a red‑ball camp runs concurrently. He was likewise excluded from the squad for the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.
Despite questions about his Test prospects, Afridi continues to be a key figure in Pakistan’s limited‑overs setup. He was named ODI captain last year and recently steered the side to a 2‑1 series win over Australia.
He finished joint‑leading wicket‑taker in the series, taking seven wickets at an average of 12.14, alongside left‑arm spinner Arafat Minhas, who made his ODI debut.
The forthcoming LPL will be Afridi’s second overseas franchise engagement in the last year after stints with Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League, where he struggled, claiming merely two wickets in four matches at an average of 76.50.
Nonetheless, Afridi remains one of cricket’s most sought‑after T20 bowlers, having taken 362 wickets in the format at an average of 20.99 and an economy of 7.97.
