Shaheen Shah Afridi, the renowned Pakistani fast bowler, has initiated discussions with Canada’s Global T20 league after deciding to withdraw from The Hundred, aiming to prioritize family time.
Afridi’s decision is unexpected since he played a crucial role for Welsh Fire last year and had been retained for the 2024 season with a substantial contract.
Afridi played in the Hundred for the first time last year, taking six wickets in six appearances for Welsh Fire. He was retained by mutual agreement on a contract worth £100,000 – the second-highest salary band in the league – for the 2024 season but has now pulled out of his deal.
Withdrawal From Season
Afridi’s withdrawal is a major setback for The Hundred, which is scheduled to overlap with the Global T20 this year. The Hundred will run from July 23 to August 18, whereas the Global T20 is slated between July 25 and August 11. The shorter duration of the Global T20 might have influenced Afridi’s choice.
Pakistan’s central contracts restrict players to two No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for foreign leagues per season. Afridi, already committed to UAE’s ILT20, had to choose between The Hundred and the Global T20.
The Global T20, a private league now in its fourth season, features a strong international lineup, likely making it attractive to Afridi. Its shorter span and potentially greater exposure compared to earlier seasons might also be contributing factors.
Meanwhile, Welsh Fire coach Mike Hussey has replaced Afridi with the New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry. However, Henry’s involvement may be delayed due to his obligations with the Major League Cricket (MLC) team, San Francisco Unicorns. This scenario underscores the difficulties leagues face with overlapping schedules and players balancing multiple commitments.
Despite Afridi’s exit, The Hundred still includes four Pakistani players: Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Imad Wasim, and Usama Mir.
The ECB’s decision to permit private investment in The Hundred was partly to address the issue of offering competitive salaries against other lucrative leagues.
Conclusion
Overlapping is the main concern for The Hundred Another League distracts Hundred Season 2024 Shaheen Afridi’s pulling out from the Hundred, will be very damaging for the Team Welsh Fire due to Afridi changing their mind Welsh ire could be difficult in the process of the team combination. Previous season Shaheen Afridi was an attack fast bowler who got wickets in powerplay for the team because of his unavailability of the fire deprived of the pace and swing bowling. Unfortunately, Modern-day cricketers especially in T20 opportunities going high several cricketing leagues attract cricketers and pay heavy amounts to players in quick time, sometimes calling easy money. The culture of short cricket players has numerous options for picking leagues according to their mind. in this case, it shows Global T20 would offer a luxury package for Shaheen and he decided to leave the hundred.