Pakistan Superstar Shahid Afridi Revealed As T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced Pakistan's iconic all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the latest name on the star-studded roster of Ambassadors for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and West Indies, which begins on June 1. Pakistan veteran Afridi has played six T20 World Cups and was captain for two of them. He played a key role in Pakistan's 2009 victory, earning the Player of the Match award in the final at Lord's. Afridi will be involved in various promotional activities for the upcoming World Cup and will also provide expert insights through a series of guest columns. Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and eight-time Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt are other iconic Ambassadors for the showpiece event.

Shahid Afridi Revealed As T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will be played from June 1-29, with co-hosts USA taking on Canada in the opening fixture at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas. A total of 55 matches will be played by 20 teams across nine venues, culminating in the final on June 29 in Barbados, the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever. Ahead of the World Cup, the ICC has announced Pakistan's iconic all-rounder Shahid Afridi as the latest name on the star-studded roster of Ambassadors for the showpiece event in the USA and West Indies, which begins on June 1.

"The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart. From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage. I am particularly excited to witness the India v Pakistan fixture on June 9. It is one of the great rivalries in sport, and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams," Shahid Afridi said.

Pakistan has gone back to Babar Azam as their skipper in the white-ball formats despite their poor performance in the ODI World Cup. The duo of left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir and left-arm spinner Imad Wasim are certain to make a return in their T20 World Cup 2024 squad. Pakistan are still not settled with their top-order batting line-up as the duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub opening the batting and Babar at the No. 3 position. 

"Shahid competed in six ICC Men's T20 World Cups, two of which as captain and delivering a Player of the Match performance when winning the trophy in 2009, so who better to join our all-star Ambassador team. He’s a fan favourite around the world and, alongside Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and eight-time Olympic gold-medallist Usain Bolt, will be bringing fans closer to the event ahead of what is set to be the biggest T20 World Cup ever," ICC General Manager Claire Furlong said.

The biggest selection decision for Pakistan will be to pick the right pace bowling combination with the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah. While talking about their spin attack, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Imad Wasim are mainly in contention at this moment. Even if one of these two teams end up losing this India vs Pakistan game, both India and Pakistan are very much certain to qualify for the Super 8 stage of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.