Pakistan speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi had a stunning bowling performance in the National Champions Cup final, claiming a career-best seven wickets in List A cricket as Pakistan Gold beat Pakistan Greens by 101 runs in Multan.
Shaheen, who is leading Pakistan in ODIs, also completed a hat-trick during a brilliant spell that completely changed the game. Pakistan Greens, led by Shadab Khan, were chasing 341 after Pakistan Gold posted 340 earlier in the day.
Pakistan Gold made a strong start after Afridi won the toss and decided to bat. Shamyl Hussain and Saad Khan both scored centuries to give their team a huge total.
Hussain struck 111 from 93 balls, hitting 11 fours and four sixes. Saad Khan followed him with 112 from 102 balls, also clearing the boundary four times while finding the ropes on 11 occasions.
Pakistan Greens tried nine different bowlers during the innings, with Fakhar Zaman also being given the ball, but they could not prevent Pakistan Gold from reaching 340.
Afridi turns the final on its head
Afridi had to wait for his first wicket. Mubasir Khan dismissed Fakhar Zaman in the eighth over before Razaullah removed Omair Yousuf, who fell six runs short of his half-century.
Saad Baig then kept the chase alive with a quick 67 off 51 balls. When he was dismissed by Faisal Akram in the 22nd over, Pakistan Greens were 147/3 and still had a realistic chance of chasing down the target.
That was when Afridi stepped in.
The left-arm pacer struck twice in quick succession, with Mohammad Suleman and Farhan Yousaf both falling while attempting pull shots. Abdul Samad took both catches at deep square leg.
Shadab Khan soon followed. The Pakistan Greens captain tried to play an upper cut but picked out the fielder at third man.
The collapse was now in full swing. Pakistan Greens lost six wickets for just 167 runs in 26.5 overs.
Afridi completes sensational hat-trick
Afridi returned in the 36th over and immediately made an impact, getting Naseem Shah caught behind. Naseem and Faheem Ashraf had put together a 61-run stand for the seventh wicket, briefly giving Pakistan Greens some hope.
But Afridi had other plans.
HAT-TRICK FOR SHAHEEN AFRIDI IN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/X80HuXsaaV
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) August 18, 2026
In his next over, he bowled a fuller delivery and trapped Mehran Mumtaz lbw. He then switched to bowling around the wicket and got Salman Mirza caught and bowled.
That left Mohammad Hasnain facing Afridi with the hat-trick ball.
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Afridi kept his composure and knocked over Hasnain to complete the hat-trick.
Pakistan Greens were eventually bowled out for 239 in 37.3 overs, handing Pakistan Gold a comfortable 101-run victory.
Afridi finished with remarkable figures of 7/36 from 8.3 overs and was named Player of the Match for his match-winning performance.
Fakhar Zaman, despite his early dismissal in the final, was named Player of the Series after scoring 269 runs in three innings, including two centuries.
Why isn’t Shaheen Afridi in Pakistan’s Test squad?
Despite his importance to Pakistan’s white-ball teams, Afridi is currently not part of the Test setup. He has been dropped from Pakistan's squad for the three-Test series against England, which is scheduled to start on August 19. He was also not selected for the Test series against the West Indies, which was played under former captain Babar Azam.