The upcoming 2023 Vitality Blast will see a major addition to the Nottinghamshire Outlaws squad as they announced the signing of Pakistan fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi on Thursday. 

Shaheen is set to join the team as their second T20 overseas player, following the signing of Colin Munro as their top-order batter.

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With previous T20 experience in England through his stint with Hampshire Hawks, Afridi is looking forward to playing on the fast-scoring ground at Trent Bridge, a venue where he has already made an impact by taking 3-30 for Pakistan in their win over England in the summer of 2021.

“Notts play an aggressive brand of cricket, which suits me well. They’ve had great success in recent years and the likes of Alex Hales, Colin Munro and Joe Clarke are players I have faced up against in recent years and been impressed by. The goal is obviously to influence games to make the team as successful as possible,” Afridi said.

“Having played at Trent Bridge, I know it is a fast-scoring ground and as a bowler you need to get your line and lengths right, but you also get the rewards when you do that. It’s definitely an exciting move for me, and one I’m looking forward to,” he added.

Nottinghamshire are excited to have Afridi on board, with Head Coach Peter Moores describing him as a world-class player. 

“In Shaheen, we’ve got a world class player - which is really exciting - and a player with a point of difference with the ball, which is crucial when we are looking to recruit,” Peter Moores said. 

“We are building from a strong platform, with a lot of very talented lads hungry to play T20, and Shaheen adds star quality and a different angle to that group. 

“He has proven himself on big stages; he is fiercely passionate in the way he plays his cricket, and he’ll be hugely engaging for everyone to watch for that reason. 

“We want to bounce back from last year’s campaign, and this signing invigorates the club; he makes impacts in big games, and is a box office player. 

“Alongside Munro, who is one of the top run scorers in the history of the format, we’ve got two very unique talents, both of whom will play a big role for us as we look to bring back silverware.”