Generally, in the Test format, players start to think about retirement when they have crossed the age of 36 years. But there is one name who made his debut at the age of 38, and it is Asif Afridi. With his debut, he became the second-oldest player to debut in this century,
Joyce made his debut in 2018, when he was 39 years and 231 days old. But Afridi has not just made it into the record list of international debuts; he also made it to the oldest players to debut for Pakistan. He stands just behind Miran Bakhsh in the list of the oldest players to have played their maiden Test for the Pakistani team.
1. Afridi’s Domestic Career
Asif Afridi has been playing in the domestic format for a long time. He made his domestic debut in Pakistan for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2009, showcasing his spin abilities. Since then, he has been consistent with his performances across the three formats of the game.
Pic Source: Outlook India
This also allowed Afridi to become a part of other domestic teams such as Khyber Agency and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). His performances were mainly noticed by the selectors due to his brilliance in the first-class matches. Afridi was able to dominate for his team in two consecutive editions of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Asif Afridi in First Class Cricket:
- Innings: 95
- Overs: 1726.3
- Wickets: 198
- Average: 25.49
- Economy: 2.92
- Four-wicket Hauls: 8
- Five-wicket Hauls: 13
With his experience in the first-class format expanding to such great stats, he still didn’t get a chance for the Pakistani team. In the 2017-18 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he took 30 wickets in 7 matches for FATA, which helped him to finish as the highest wicket-taker for the team.
But this is not where his consistency ended, as Afridi went on to perform well even in the next season. During the 2018-19 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, he once again finished as the team’s highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 30 wickets in 7 matches. This helped to ensure that Afridi was being noticed by the selectors.
Pic Source: NDTV Sports
His next breakthrough came during the 2020-21 Pakistan Cup. Being a part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa team, he ensured to give his very best. Asif Afridi took a five-wicket haul in the final match to contribute well for his team, which helped him to be the POTM and also the bowler of the tournament.
2. International Career
Many fans would think that the international career of Asif Afridi has just started with the match against South Africa. But that’s not the first time he was about to make a debut. His debut was about to come in the limited-overs format of the game in 2022.
When Pakistan had an ODI and T20I series against Australia, Asif Afridi was a part of the squad. But unfortunately, he didn’t get a chance to play even a single game for the team. This led to Afridi waiting longer for his chance to make a debut. But things took a serious turn when he received a ban from the PCB for two years.
Pic Source: Cricket Addictor
After his ban came to an end, Afridi continued to impress the selectors and was selected in the Test series against South Africa. Finally, in the second Test, he made his debut at the age of 38, putting him in the list of the oldest players to have made a Test debut for their national side.
3. Why Was Asif Afridi Banned?
Asif Afridi received a ban from the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2022 for being involved in spot fixing cases. This was caught by the PCB in the domestic matches, due to which they knew that action should be taken immediately. A committee was set up to investigation this matter against Asif Afridi.
After taking a look into the same, the PCB handed Afridi a two-year ban on the anti-corruption code offences. His ban started from 12 September 2022, but came to an end next year, allowing him to play for his team in the domestic league once again. The PCB didn’t give any reason to reduce his ban, but the statement said that he will be ineligible for two years, and
He marked his return to domestic cricket on 16 September 2023, a year after he was suspended from the same. Even after serving a suspension, Asif Afridi has made it through all the obstacles to make his debut for the Pakistan team in the Test format.