Umpires Stop Shaheen Afridi as BBL Debut Goes Awry

News Desk

Islamabad:Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi endured a difficult start to his Big Bash League (BBL) career after umpires stopped him from bowling due to dangerous deliveries during Brisbane Heat’s match against Melbourne Renegades at Simonds Stadium on Tuesday.

Afridi was taken out of the attack in the 18th over of the Renegades’ innings after bowling two waist-high full tosses—one to Tim Seifert and another to Ollie Peake. The on-field umpires deemed the deliveries dangerous, forcing Heat captain Nathan McSweeney to complete the remaining two balls of the over.

The left-arm pacer could only smile as he walked off the field, with his debut spell ending prematurely. Afridi finished with figures of 0 for 43 from 2.4 overs. The disrupted over proved costly, conceding 15 runs and including three no-balls and two wides.

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Afridi had arrived in Australia amid high expectations, with fellow Pakistan international Mohammad Rizwan also making his BBL debut for the Melbourne Renegades. The fast bowler showed early promise, delivering three consecutive dot balls in his second over, but struggled to maintain control thereafter.

After being withdrawn from the attack, Afridi was reintroduced in the 13th over during the Renegades’ Power Surge, where he conceded 19 runs. His final spell further compounded the damage, as he ended the match with an economy rate of 16.10.

The Melbourne Renegades capitalised on Brisbane Heat’s bowling woes to post a commanding 212 for 5. Tim Seifert starred with a fluent 102 off 56 balls, while Ollie Peake provided late acceleration with 57 from 29 deliveries.

Mohammad Rizwan, however, failed to make an impact, scoring four runs off 10 balls before being dismissed by left-arm spinner Paddy Dooley.

Despite the disappointing outing, Afridi’s debut underlined the highly competitive and unforgiving nature of the Big Bash League, where even established international stars face immediate challenges.