Babar Azam attends Shaheen Afridi’s wedding amid rift rumours

KARACHI: Pakistan team captain Babar Azam on Tuesday attended wedding ceremony of left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi amid rumours of rift between the two cricketers following Asia Cup debacle, ARY News reported.

Shaheen Shah Afridi tied the knot with Ansha, daughter of former captain Shahid Afridi, today in a grand ceremony in Karachi. The gathering was also attended by other cricket stars such as Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Tanveer Ahmed, and Sohail Khan.

Reports emerged last week that things got tense between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi in the Pakistan team dressing room after their loss against Sri Lanka in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup on September 14, leading to their elimination.

According to reports, the duo got into a heated argument while Mohammad Rizwan intervened to bring the situation back under control.

However, Shaheen Afridi put an end to rift rumors with his post on X (formerly Twitter) featuring the Pakistan captain on Tuesday evening. He shared a picture of them together.

The left-arm pacer said Babar Azam is like family to him.

family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VjKAFOTIE5

— Shaheen Shah Afridi (@iShaheenAfridi) September 19, 2023

Later, pictures of the Babar attending Shaheen’s wedding ceremony went viral on social media. The duo can be seen embracing each other warmly in them and sharing a hearty laugh.

Heartiest congratulations! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/jo0lDPYURT

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) September 19, 2023

Shaheen Shah’s wedding

The wedding festivities of Shaheen Afridi began with a mehendi ceremony on Monday.

Shaheen tied the knot with legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi’s daughter, Ansha, in February earlier this year. The nikkah was solemnised at a local mosque in Karachi in the presence of close relatives of both families.

The valima will be held in Islamabad on September 21. The couple’s engagement had already taken place two years ago.

World Cup 2023

It is pertinent to mention here that Babar Azam will lead Pakistan in its quest for a second 50-over World Cup title. Shaheen Afridi will lead the country’s pace attack, described by many as one of the most potent in the world.

Pakistan will start its ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 on October 6 when it take on the Netherlands. The side takes on Sri Lanka on October 10, before arch-rivals India on October 14.

After India, the side will go head-to-head against Australia and Afghanistan on October 20 and 23 respectively. Their fixture against South Africa is scheduled for October 27.

They take play Bangladesh, New Zealand, and defending champions England on October 31, November 4 and November 11 respectively.