3 times Shaheen Shah Afridi won hearts for his gesture
Pakistan's left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi recently met a differently-abled fan and spent some quality time with the latter. A video of the heartwarming interaction between the cricketer star and his fan has gone viral on social media. The official X handle of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has shared a clip of the same.
The video begins with one of the family members of the differently-abled fan requesting other fans to tag the Pakistan pacer so that the clip could reach him. In the second part of the video, Afridi is seen visiting his special fan. He shares an endearing interaction with the boy - asks him about his favorite cricketers, gives his autograph on a bat, and even invites the young fan to watch cricket matches.
In the wake of Afridi's interaction with his special fan going viral, we look back at three previous instances when the Pakistan cricketer won hearts with his gesture.
#1 Shaheen Afridi gave a gift to Jasprit Bumrah after the Indian pacer became a father
Afridi gave a gift to Jasprit Bumrah to congratulate the Indian pacer on becoming a father last year. The duo had a heartfelt interaction during the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 Super 4 match in Colombo.
The ODI was affected due to rain. Play was called off after 24.1 overs and pushed to the reserve day. Afridi, however, took the opportunity to meet his Indian fast-bowling counterpart and give him a gift for his newborn son. The PCB shared a video of the warm interaction between the rival pacers in which Afridi is heard telling Bumrah:
"Many many congratulations to you Bumrah bhai and bhabhi. May god always keep your son happy, and may he become the new Bumrah."
Ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup clash between India and Pakistan, Bumrah's wife and sports presenter Sanjana Ganesan recalled Afridi's gesture and revealed that their son Angad still uses the gifts given by the Pakistan pacer.
#2 When the Pakistan pacer signed an Indian flag
In another gesture that was widely reported, Afridi signed an Indian flag for a fan after Pakistan's semifinal match against New Zealand in the 2022 T20 World Cup. After the knockout game, a picture went viral in which the Pakistan left-arm pacer was seen signing an Indian flag for a fan in Sydney.
While many appreciated the gesture, some social media users criticized the fan for taking an autograph on the national flag, terming it as disrespecting the tricolor. On the other hand, after the picture went viral, many fans recalled how Afridi's father-in-law and former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi had also posed with the Indian flag with a fan in 2018 during the St Moritz Ice Cricket Tournament in Switzerland.
"We should respect the flags of other nations and that's why I asked them to hold their flag in a proper way. I also wanted them to have a better picture," the former Pakistan all-rounder had told Pakistan's Dawn about the viral image.
Speaking of the 2022 T20 World Cup, [Shaheen] Afridi starred with 2-24 as Pakistan beat New Zealand in the first semifinal in Sydney. He got the big wickets of Kane Williamson and Finn Allen. However, the left-arm pacer got injured in the final against England at the MCG, which Pakistan lost by five wickets.
#3 When Shaheen Afridi checked on Mohammad Rizwan after the batter was hit on the arm
Afridi also won praise for checking on Mohammad Rizwan after the keeper-batter was him on the arm by a Haris Rauf delivery during a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in March 2023. The incident took place during a clash between Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans.
In the fifth over of Multan Sultans' innings, skipper Rizwan was hit on the arm by a short ball bowled by Rauf at 141 kmph. The right-handed batter attempted a pull but missed his stroke. Apart from being hit hard, Rizwan lost his grip on the bat.
The keeper-batter ran a leg bye and when he was at the other end Lahore Qalandars captain Afridi went and checked on his Pakistan teammate. The PSL shared a video of the incident on their Instagram handle.
Afridi and Rizwan were part of the Pakistan team that went down to Bangladesh in the first Test in Rawalpindi on Sunday, August 25. It was a historic occasion for Bangladesh as they registered their first-ever Test win over Pakistan.