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Pakistan paceman Shaheen returns home ahead of West Indies series

Pakistan paceman Shaheen returns home ahead of West Indies series

Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi is returning home immediately ahead of next month's one-day international series against the West Indies, Middlesex County Cricket Club announced on Thursday.

Shaheen was due to leave the county side in early June to prepare for his international commitments but the club said they supported his desire to spend time with family and friends.


Shaheen, 22, is scheduled to return to England after the three-match series against the Caribbean side, which starts on June 8, to represent Middlesex in the latter stages of the T20 Blast competition.

The towering left-arm quick has taken 14 first-class wickets in three matches for the London-based team, who play in the second division of the County Championship.

"We have thoroughly enjoyed having Shaheen here with us at Lord’s for the last month," said Middlesex head of men’s performance Alan Coleman.

"He has settled into the group really well and has been a real asset for us on the field. It has been a pleasure working with him.

"Shaheen has played international cricket in all three forms of the game already this year and came to Middlesex off the back of a busy playing schedule, so we are fully understanding and supportive of his request to go home and recharge ahead of him representing his country."

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  • UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
  • Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
  • Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.

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Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.

Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.

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