Former Pakistan captain and ex-star all-rounder Shaheen Afridi mocked the country’s player Irfan Niazi over the latter’s age. It happened during a live TV show in Pakistan when Afridi got to know about the age of the player. “You have already given many opportunities to (Irfan) Niazi in the past. He is a hitter who plays at number 4 or 5. What would have been his age?” he asked the anchor during a discussion. “That boy is fit and he is also a good hitter. He has been given chances in the past.”
The news anchor on the other side fetched Niazi’s age by then, and her reply caught Afridi by surprise.
“He is 23,” said the anchor.
Afridi replied, “What? He is 23?”
The reporter further responded with a laugh, “He is officially 23.”
Afridi, who is 46 years old, added, “Okay, then I must be 30 to 35.”
After the statement, the duo started laughing.
IT TAKES ONE FRAUD TO SPOT ANOTHER
During a discussion on Pakistan cricket, Shahid Afridi burst into sarcastic disbelief when the anchor mentioned that one of the Pakistani players is just 23 years old.
“If he is 23, then we are fine… we must be around 30-35,” Afridi… pic.twitter.com/iHGL2ZZdZo
— Brutal Truth (@sarkarstix) March 5, 2026
It is worth noting that Shahid Afridi has himself been a topic of discussion over age fraud in cricket.
The former Pakistan player, in his memoir titled Game Changer, revealed that he was 19 years old during his debut and not 16. He also revealed that he was born in 1975. What really adds to the confusion is that if he was born in 1975, his age would have been 21 on his debut.
Afridi made his debut against Kenya in 1996 in Nairobi.
An all-rounder, Afridi played 27 Tests, 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is. He was part of Pakistan’s 2009 T20 World Cup-winning team. He was also adjudged Player of the Match in the final, with Pakistan defeating Sri Lanka by eight wickets. He slammed an unbeaten 54 off 40 balls.
An aggressive batsman and a spinner, Afridi was also famous for his multiple retirements during his playing career for Pakistan.