Pakistani cricketer Shaheen Shah Afridi had a night to forget on his Big Bash League debut, being removed from the attack for bowling two full-toss no-balls above waist height as Melbourne Renegades defeated Brisbane Heat by 14 runs at GMHBA Stadium in Geelong.
Afridi, playing his first BBL game, conceded 0-45 from just 2.4 overs before the umpires deemed him a danger to the batsmen.
The setback came in a dramatic 18th over, forcing acting captain Nathan McSweeney to complete the over, which eventually went for 22 runs. Commentator Theo Doropoulos said Afridi “had an off night” and struggled with his pace variations, while Aaron Finch added that it was a tough start for the Pakistan one-day captain in Australia.
Meanwhile, Renegades opener Tim Seifert scored his maiden BBL century, blasting 102 from 56 balls, with Ollie Peake contributing 59 from 29. The pair put on 121 runs for the fourth wicket, helping Melbourne reach 5-212 — the highest score at the Geelong venue.
Despite half-centuries from Heat batsmen Colin Munro (55) and Jimmy Peirson (50), Brisbane were restricted to 8-198, with Will Sutherland (3-33) and Xavier Bartlett (1-24) doing the damage. Seifert, who sustained a side muscle injury while batting, was rested behind the stumps, with Mohammad Rizwan taking over as wicketkeeper.
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