Shaheen Afridi is set to return to domestic first-class cricket when he turns out for Khan Research Laboratories in the President's Trophy Grade-I, which begins on Saturday, September 12, 2026. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer's participation was confirmed on Thursday, September 10, with KRL scheduled to open their campaign against Ghani Glass at Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar on the opening day of the tournament.
The Pakistan Cricket Board instructed Shaheen to return to domestic first-class cricket
as a condition for earning his way back into the national Test squad. He had been left out of Pakistan's squads for the recent West Indies tour and the ongoing England Test series. His most recent confirmed domestic first-class appearance before this tournament was on October 28, 2019, when he played for Northern against Southern Punjab in Sialkot in the 2019-20 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, making this a gap of nearly seven years at the domestic red-ball level.
Iftikhar Ahmed will captain the KRL side, with Fakhar Zaman serving as vice-captain. Shaheen is named in the squad alongside them for the tournament.
What form has Shaheen shown ahead of this return?
Despite his lengthy absence from domestic first-class cricket, Shaheen has remained active and productive in other formats. Last month, he led Pakistan Gold to the National Champions Cup title, claiming 13 wickets across the tournament, including a hat-trick in the final. That white-ball performance demonstrated that his fitness and rhythm were not in question heading into this red-ball assignment.
In Test cricket, Shaheen has taken 126 wickets in 34 matches since making his Pakistan debut in 2018. The PCB's decision to route him through domestic cricket before any Test recall therefore reflects a procedural administrative requirement rather than a fitness concern, given his recent white-ball output and sustained international record.
What does the President's Trophy format establish for Shaheen?
The President's Trophy Grade-I runs from September 12 to October 28, 2026. The competition features eight teams playing a single-league round-robin stage comprising 28 four-day matches in total, with each side playing seven matches. The top two teams at the end of the league stage advance to a five-day final.
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Shaheen and KRL will therefore have up to seven four-day matches to make an impression before the final, giving the pacer a substantial and structured block of red-ball cricket across the tournament window. Completing this domestic stint is the next confirmed procedural step between Shaheen and a potential return to Pakistan's Test squad. The competition concludes on October 28, 2026, the same calendar date as his last confirmed domestic first-class appearance in 2019.
