Ansha and Shaheen Shah Afridi welcome baby boy

Shaheen Shah Afridi is used to making headlines for his bowling prowess, but now the cricketer has a whole new reason to celebrate as he and his wife Ansha Afridi welcomed their brand-new baby boy, Ali Yar, into the world.

The Afridi family shared the news through the official Pakistan Cricket Board WhatsApp group on Saturday. Word spread almost immediately, with messages of congratulations for the first-time parents flowing in thick and fast. With Shaheen himself currently in the middle of a Test match against Bangladesh, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi captioned his admiration for the fast bowler on X as he bestowed his well wishes on the happy couple.

"Congratulations to Shaheen Afridi on the birth of his son! May the family be blessed with all the happiness in the world and may Allah (SWT) continue to shower His blessings on the family. It is heartening to witness that he is still continuing to play for Pakistan, and missing out on the invaluable time he could spend with his newborn. Kudos to the player for such unwavering commitment to Pakistan!"

Ali's birth means that former cricketer Shahid Afridi - who is Ansha's father - is now a grandfather, a fact that was picked up on by Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, who also tweeted his good wishes.

"Congratulations to Shaheen Shah Afridi on the birth of your precious baby boy! And heartfelt congratulations to Shahid Afridi on becoming a grandfather," penned Arshad. "May Allah bless the little one with health and happiness. Prayers and best wishes to your family for this beautiful new chapter."

Other fans, too, were quick to add their sentiments on X. "Many congratulations to Shaheen Shah Afridi and Ansha Afridi for getting blessed with a baby boy," wrote one fan. "Wishing for loads of happiness for the family."

Shaheen and Ansha wed in Karachi in September 2023 in a ceremony attended by many of Shaheen's fellow cricketing stars.