Renowned West Indies fast bowler and respected commentator Ian Bishop has likened Pakistan’s pace ace Shaheen Shah Afridi to Australian great Mitchell Starc, describing him as a “baby Starc” for his stump-rattling brilliance.
Bishop made the comparison while commentating during the infamous third Test between West Indies and Australia, where Starc produced a record-breaking spell to dismantle the hosts. The 57-year-old was quick to draw parallels between Starc’s devastating bowling and Shaheen Afridi’s ever-growing prowess with the new ball.
“Mitchell Starc and Shaheen Shah Afridi are well known for this. Watch your stumps and protect them,” Bishop warned, referencing their shared ability to consistently target the stumps with searing pace and late swing early in the innings.
But it was his next comment on Shaheen that truly stood out: “Then you have Shaheen Afridi, the young upcoming star pacer. I thought he is their very own baby Starc. Quite different but very similar in effect.”
Ian Bishop made the comparison when the real Starc was ripping through the West Indies’ batting lineup, where he claimed the fastest five-wicket haul in Test matches as well.
Since making his international debut in 2018, Shaheen Afridi has become Pakistan’s premier strike bowler across formats. The 25-year-old has claimed 345 wickets in 31 Tests, 64 ODIs, and 79 T20Is, with many of his wickets coming in the opening over, much like Starc, courtesy of an in-swinging delivery that rattles the stumps more often than not.
For Bishop, that upward trajectory draws a natural link between Starc’s long-established legacy and the rising star from Pakistan—two left-arm wrecking balls with an eye for timber.
Shaheen Afridi’s place in the Pakistan team has gottena little fuzzier over the past few months, but he remains as potent as ever for when he eventually returns to international cricket. When all is said and done, more people than Ian Bishop are sure to make a comparison between Starc and “baby Starc”.