Pakistani cricket great Shahid Afridi has been named a tournament ambassador for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024, which will be co-hosted by the Caribbean and the United States. Afridi joins an illustrious group of ambassadors that includes West Indian batsman Chris Gayle, Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, and legendary sprinter Usain Bolt.
The 44-year-old Afridi etched his name in T20 World Cup history by winning the Player of the Series award in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007. He continued his impressive showing across 34 T20 World Cup matches, scoring 546 runs and claiming 39 wickets. Notably, he picked up two four-wicket hauls and was named Player of the Match in the 2009 final where Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka at Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
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"The ICC Men's T20 World Cup is an event very close to my heart," Afridi said. "From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favorite career highlights have come from competing on this stage. T20 World Cups have gone from strength to strength in recent years, and I'm thrilled to be part of this edition, where we will see more teams, more matches, and even more drama than ever before."
Afridi expressed his excitement about the highly anticipated clash between India and Pakistan, scheduled for Sunday, June 9, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
"I am particularly excited to witness the India v Pakistan fixture on 9 June," Afridi added. "It is one of the great rivalries in sport, and New York will be a fitting stage for this unmissable encounter between two great teams."
Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign kicks off on Thursday, June 6, at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Babar Azam's men are currently in England, engaged in a four-match T20I series.
