'That's the main problem' - Mohammad Amir reveals reasons for Shaheen Afridi's poor form

Former Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Amir has stated his belief that the lack of proper workload management has been the major fault in the poor form of Shaheen Shah Afridi across formats for the team.

Afridi has been under scrutiny for his recent performances across formats for Pakistan, notably during the 2-0 Test series whitewash at the hands of Bangladesh, where his pace was around the 120 kmph mark. Since 2023, he has picked up just 27 wickets in 16 innings at a concerning average of 40.11. The form has further seen the left-arm seamer dropped from the Test side for the series against West Indies and England.

Afridi broke out as a stellar left-arm seamer in 2018, who could move the ball both ways and had stellar performances before he suffered a severe knee injury in 2022, which was further aggravated while attempting a catch during the final of the T20 World Cup against England.

Amir, referring to an interview he had given in 2021, stated that Afridi has been a victim of poor workload management and is currently struggling with fitness and consistency due to the number of games he plays.

“If you go on Google or YouTube, you can watch the video. I gave an interview in 2020 or 2021 about Shaheen Afridi because these things happened with me. I told the media that you guys keep playing Shaheen Afridi; the time will come when he will struggle," Amir said on The Scoop by Wisden.

He will struggle with the pace, with the consistency, with fitness, everything. And now you can see he's struggling by far. He's still young, he should be on top, but he's struggling. So there is something wrong. And the main thing is workload management. That's the main problem," Amir added.

Afridi is currently playing for the Kandy Royals in the 2026 Lanka Premier League season, where he has picked up seven wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 8.93.