LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has been appointed as the brand ambassador for the T20 World Cup 2024 by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
Afridi, who played a crucial role in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup victory in 2009, joins a distinguished group of ambassadors, including India’s Yuvraj Singh, West Indies’ Chris Gayle, and sprint legend Usain Bolt. The T20 World Cup 2024 is set to take place in the USA and the West Indies from June 2. As an ambassador, Afridi will promote the event, bringing his extensive experience and star power to cricket fans around the world. “The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is an event that is very close to my heart,’’ Afridi said in an ICC media release. “From being Player of the Tournament in the inaugural edition to lifting the trophy in 2009, some of my favourite career highlights have come from competing on this stage. I’m thrilled to be part of this edition (as ambassador), where we will see more teams, more matches and even more drama than ever before.”
In the 2009 edition held in England, Afridi was the second-highest run-getter for Pakistan, scoring 176 runs at a strike rate of 140, including two fifties. He was named Player of the Match in both the semifinal against South Africa and the final against Sri Lanka. Afridi expressed particular excitement about the upcoming India vs. Pakistan fixture on June 9, calling it “one of the great rivalries in sport”.