Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi accused young cricketer Irfan Khan Niazi of faking his age on national television. While discussing the future of the Pakistan national cricket team and possible captaincy candidates, the former all-rounder openly questioned the official age of the youngster.
Pakistan’s poor performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 has raised serious questions on the leadership of the team. Salman Ali Aga’s captaincy has come under scrutiny after the team failed to live up to expectations. PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi is reportedly planning to appoint a new captain in the T20I format.
Then we are 30-35″ – Shahid Afridi
When asked whether a young player like Niazi should be given the responsibility of leadership, Shahid Afridi questioned Niazi’s official age. Afridi immediately laughed it off and claimed that the player was actually much older than what was written on the paper.
Afridi asked, “Niazi ko to pehle bhi aap khila chuche ho… Uski umar kitni hai ye jo nai aa gayi hai? (You have played the character of Niazi before too… Now what is his age which is being told?)”
“Achha… phir to hum theek hain phir… 30-35 ka hai (Oh, so we are theek hain phir… 30-35 ka hai)” when the host replied that Niazi is officially 23 years old.
Shahid Afridi said, “Irfan Niazi is really 23 years old? If he is 23 years old, then we are fine, we should be around 30-35. I thought I was the only one who got his age down.” ???
-Salman. (@TsMeSalman) 5 March 2026
Irfan Khan Niazi’s performance in Pakistan cricket
Irfan Khan Niazi has shown wonders on the cricket field. The right-handed batsman made his T20 International debut for Pakistan against New Zealand in April 2024.
He first made headlines while playing for the Karachi Kings during the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he won the Emerging Player of the Tournament award for his hard-hitting finishing.
The 23-year-old has so far played 14 T20 Internationals for the Men in Green, scoring 189 runs at an average of 27 and a strike rate of 135.00, with a best score of 37.
He also recently captained the Pakistan Shaheens team in the men’s Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament in late 2025. Niazi led the team to victory over Bangladesh in the final.
Shahid Afridi accused of age manipulation during his playing days
During his playing days, Shahid Afridi’s official records stated that he was just 16 years old when he scored his famous century in 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1996. For decades, fans celebrated it as an incredible record by a teenager.
However, long after his retirement, Afridi confessed in his autobiography that his official age was incorrect. He admitted that he was actually born before the officially recorded date. So his age during that world-record century was incorrect, surprising many of his supporters.
When the book was published, this revelation created a huge stir in the cricket world. His recent comments on live television about Irfan Khan Niazi allegedly falsifying his age have sparked controversy, as Afridi himself had previously admitted that his official age was incorrect during his international career.
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