NEW DELHI: Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi and his wife, Ansha Afridi, have welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on Saturday. Shaheen, currently playing in a Test match against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi, will return to Karachi to meet his newborn son and wife after the match concludes.
Afridi is expected to rejoin his team ahead of the second Test, scheduled to begin in Rawalpindi on August 30.
Olympic javelin champion Arshad Nadeem took to social media to congratulate Shaheen Afridi on becoming a father and Shahid Afridi on becoming a grandfather.
"Congratulations to Shaheen Shah Afridi on the birth of your precious baby boy! And heartfelt congratulations to Shahid Afridi on becoming a grandfather. May Allah bless the little one with health, happiness. Prayers and best wishes to your family for this beautiful new chapter," Nadeem wrote.
During the first Test match in Rawalpindi, Shaheen’s joy was evident as he celebrated the arrival of his newborn son.
His emotions overflowed when he took the wicket of Hasan Mahmud on the fourth day of the game, marking the moment with a distinctive celebration that mimicked cradling a newborn in his arms.
This heartwarming gesture reflected Shaheen’s deep love and affection for his child, even amidst the intensity of the match.
Shaheen got engaged to Ansha, the second-eldest daughter of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, in 2021.
Their nikah took place in a private ceremony in February last year, followed by a week of wedding celebrations and Ansha's rukhsati in September 2023.
