Shaheen Afridi Exits LPL 2026 Mid-Tournament After Alleging Match-Fixing

Shaheen Afridi for Pakistan [Source: AP]

In a massive development, Pakistan's pace bowling star Shaheen Afridi has left his commitments midway through a foreign domestic cricket tournament and returned to his home in Pakistan on August 1. 

Shaheen Afridi, who was representing Kandy Royals in the Lanka Premier League (LPL) 2026, has reportedly ended his stint for this season after playing six matches for the franchise.

Shaheen Afridi leaves LPL 2026 citing personal reasons

As per sources, Afridi cited personal reasons for quitting LPL 2026 midway, with his last match coming against the Jaffna Kings on July 30. The breaking news emerged with the sole reason being some personal issues that arose for Shaheen during the tournament, forcing him to return to Pakistan immediately. 

For the uninitiated, Afridi took only seven wickets from six innings in the tournament while being a bit expensive, conceding runs at an economy rate of 10.18 and a strike rate of 18.00. 

His only productive bowling performance came on July 26 against the Jaffna Kings, where he returned figures of 3 for 27, while his other notable spell came against the Colombo Kaps, where he picked up 2 for 34. 

Overall, he was expensive throughout the tournament, and there were even instances where Kandy Royals deliberately avoided giving him the ball.

Afridi’s complaint to the Anti-Corruption Unit before LPL 2026 exit

On July 25, Shaheen Afridi sought help from the Anti-Corruption Unit after his LPL franchise, Kandy Royals, allegedly denied him a place in the playing XI. 

Controversies have already been marring LPL 2026, with former Jaffna Kings co-owner Manjot Kalra under the spotlight over alleged match-fixing cases. Afridi also found himself involved in an Anti-Corruption Unit matter where, according to reports, he was upset and had actually planned to return home much earlier.

On July 25, after franchise officials allegedly promised to use him as an impact player but later left him out of the playing XI while reportedly shifting the blame onto the match analysts. This reportedly left Shaheen furious, although the team management later persuaded him to stay.

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However, Afridi has now left the LPL 2026 completely. Whether his departure is solely due to personal reasons or has any connection with the alleged match-fixing controversy is yet to be confirmed. 

For now, the only confirmed reason for his exit remains personal reasons. Meanwhile, Kandy Royals, the franchise he represented, are currently struggling on the points table. In the five-team tournament, the Royals are placed fourth with three wins and five losses from eight matches.

How many stints Afridi performed for franchise cricket around the world?

Shaheen Afridi had not played in the Lanka Premier League before this season, making LPL 2026 his debut stint with the Kandy Royals. However, he has been a solid performer in other foreign domestic leagues such as the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), the Big Bash League (BBL), the ILT20, The Hundred, the Vitality Blast, and more. 

In Pakistan's domestic franchise circuit, Afridi has been representing Lahore Qalandars since 2017. He has already picked up 138 wickets in 94 matches for the franchise, averaging 20.06 with an economy rate of 7.96. 

With Pakistan set to play the second Test against the West Indies on August 2, Shaheen Afridi currently finds himself in limbo. Having also not been named in Pakistan's squad for the England tour of 2026, he has little to look forward to in terms of international or domestic cricket at the moment. 

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