Do we like them?

Do we like Shaheen Shah Afridi?

Our score: 7 out of 10. No harmful words or acts found, some real generosity, and a couple of fines for losing his cool on the field.

The most recent drama is a franchise stoush, not a personal scandal. Kandy Royals told him he'd play as their impact player in the 2026 Lanka Premier League, then midway through the innings staff said his name was missing from the team sheet. He raised it with an Anti-Corruption Unit official, reportedly mulled leaving Sri Lanka, and stayed after an apology.

The on-field temper is the main stain. In February 2025 the ICC fined him 25 per cent of his match fee for physical contact with South Africa's Matthew Breetzke while he ran a single. Afridi accepted the sanction, no hearing was held, and it was his first offence in two years.

On the harm check, nothing I found has him targeting LGBTQ+ people, women, migrants or pushing anti-vax or climate-denial lines. The contested bit is India. In September 2025, after teammates Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan drew criticism for gestures in a match against India, he said “Everyone has the right to express the way they want to.” Where you land depends on whether you read that as loyalty to his mates or as shrugging off provocation.

The good stuff is modest but real. In September 2025, when floods hit Pakistan, he joined captain Salman Ali Agha in pledging his tri-series earnings to flood victims. The record is thin on his own charity work, and I didn't find a foundation of his own.

So: a champion fast bowler with a hot head and a clean record on the things that matter here. Not a saint, not a villain, and a fair bet for the family's good books.