PCB grants Shaheen Afridi NOC for maiden Lanka Premier League stint with Kandy Royals
Shaheen Shah Afridi (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 14 Jul 2026, 04:06 AM• Read time - 2 mins
Star Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi is all set to make his debut in the Lanka Premier League in the upcoming sixth edition of the tournament. Afridi has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and is all set to represent Kandy Royals.
The speedster was earlier dropped from Pakistan’s Test squads for the West Indies and England tours amid a prolonged lean patch in the red-ball format. The 26-year-old is being perceived as a white-ball specialist by the team management, with even the Pakistan selector and high-performance director, Aaqib Javed, stressing that players should choose the formats they want to play.
The Lanka Premier League (LPL) will begin on July 17 and will run until August 8 and is set to clash with Pakistan's series against West Indies.
Shaheen Afridi was recently named in the ongoing white-ball camp at the National Cricket Academy, even after the red-ball camp running simultaneously. He was even left out of the second Test against Bangladesh in Sylhet.
Afridi was appointed Pakistan's ODI captain last year and repaid the faith by leading the side to a 2-1 series victory over Australia at home last month. He finished as the joint-leading wicket-taker with seven wickets at an average of 12.14, alongside left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas, who made his ODI debut in the opening match of the series, and Nathan Ellis.
Afridi's T20 career
Meanwhile, it will be Afridi’s second stint in an overseas T20 league over the last year. He earlier participated in the Big Bash League 2025-26 playing for Brisbane Heat. However, he didn’t have a memorable tournament, scalping only two wickets at an average of 76.50 in four matches.
Despite poor recent form, his T20 credentials make him one of the most in-demand players in the franchise circuit. The left-arm speedster has 362 wickets to his name at an average of 20.99 and an economy rate of 7.97. He’s also the leading wicket-taker for his nation in T20Is, with 136 scalps taken at an average of 21.35 and an economy of 7.83.