Shaheen Afridi can ignore playing Test cricket for Pakistan. No, this is not what we are saying but the news itself is coming like this. According to media reports, instead of playing Test cricket for Pakistan, Shaheen can be seen playing in Bangladesh Premier League. At the same time when the 11th season of Bangladesh Premier League is to be organized, Pakistan also has to play 4 test matches, due to which Shaheen Afridi can maintain distance.

Shaheen's agreement with this BPL team - report

Now the question is how did such speculations arise? Actually, there are reports that Shaheen Afridi has signed an agreement with BPL team Fortune Barishal, which is indicating that he can be seen playing in the next season of BPL. According to reports, Bangladeshi media has also approved the agreement between Shaheen Afridi and Fortune Barishal. However, his playing or not playing in BPL will depend on the NOC received from Pakistan Cricket Board. At present, Shaheen has received NOC from PCB till January 15, 2025. This means that Shaheen will not be able to play even in the first 5 matches of Fortune Barishal, which is to be held between 30 December 2024 to 7 February 2025.

Fortune Barishal, which is the defending champion of BPL, already has players like Kyle Myers, Dawid Malan, Mohammad Nabi, Mushfiqur Rahim and Tamim Iqbal. In such a situation, the addition of Shaheen Afridi seems to further increase the strength of this team.

Will Shaheen ignore Test cricket?

Shaheen's decision to play in BPL seems to raise concerns about his commitment to play Test cricket for Pakistan. Because, at the time when the 11th season of BPL is being organised, Pakistan has to play 2 Tests against South Africa and 2 at home against West Indies. However, Shaheen's name is not among the 5 fast bowlers selected for the Test series against South Africa, which is a bit surprising. And, for this reason, he has currently received NOC from PCB till January 15. But, it is also being said that its deadline can be extended any time.

Will the NOC for playing in BPL increase?

After the South Africa tour, Pakistan has to play 2 Tests with West Indies at home. This series is to be organized from 16 to 28 January. Since Pakistan is out of the current equation of playing the WTC final, it is possible that both Pakistan and Shaheen may be seen ignoring each other in the Test. It would not be surprising if this happens. Meaning Shaheen may be allowed to continue playing in BPL even after January 15.