Every fast bowler remembers the moment they first saw the perfect ball. For Shaheen Shah Afridi, that moment came in 2015, not in a net session in Khyber Agency, not in a Pakistan camp, but from thousands of kilometres away as Mitchell Starc tore through the World Cup on Australian soil. At just 16, touring with Pakistan’s U-16 side, Shaheen watched Starc swing the new ball at 145+ through the gates of world-class batters, finishing with 22 wickets and a Player-of-the-Tournament-level campaign.

 

  • A left-armer watching a left-armer.
  • A teenager watching the finished product.
  • A raw prospect studying a template.

 

And according to Shaheen, that’s where his own fuller, attacking length, now his calling card, was born. With Starc recently leapfrogging Wasim Akram for the most Test wickets by a left-arm pacer, the torch doesn’t look like it’s being passed just yet, but it’s definitely being admired from across the border.

 

Starc’s 2015 Blueprint That Redefined Shaheen’s Length

 

Starc’s World Cup wasn’t just about pace; it was a tactical thesis on how full is full enough without becoming foolish. He bowled 60% of his deliveries in the “drivable danger zone,” forcing batters to play. Shaheen has admitted that Starc’s consistency with that length shaped his decision to adopt the same philosophy: bowl full, swing big, attack the stumps. It’s why his first-over wicket threat skyrocketed from his early years to his 2019–2021 peak.

 

A Left-Arm Kinship Rooted in Craft, Not Comparison

 

Despite inevitable public comparisons, Shaheen speaks about Starc with a student’s humility, not a rival’s posture. He doesn’t claim he is Starc; he claims he studied Starc. And it shows. Their shared traits? Release height, whippy action, use of the crease, and a penchant for targeting top-order batters early. Their differences? Starc excels with the older ball in Tests; Shaheen thrives in white-ball phases. But the philosophical alignment remains: wickets belong where the ball arcs late.

 

Fuller Lengths Demand Courage — And Starc Showed the Way

 

Bowling full at 145 km/h isn’t romantic; it’s risky. It invites boundaries. But Starc made that risk feel like a reward system. Shaheen’s adoption of the same mentality required guts, especially in Pakistan conditions where length bowling often leans back-of-a-length. Watching Starc dominate England in the ongoing Ashes, 18 wickets in two Tests, two Player of the Match awards strengthened Shaheen’s conviction that full aggression is the future of left-arm pace.

 

Technical Conversations That Matter

 

Shaheen revealed he still chats with Starc whenever they cross paths. These aren’t fan moments; they’re technical dialogues. It was during one such interaction that Shaheen told Starc he modeled his fuller length directly from watching him in 2015. For a 24-year-old to openly credit a peer from another country speaks to the rare fraternity among fast bowlers, a brotherhood built on bruised ribs, scrambled stumps, and mutual respect.

 

It’s easy to romanticize cricket rivalries, but stories like this show how cricket really evolves silently, respectfully, across nations and eras. Shaheen’s acknowledgment isn’t a confession of imitation; it’s proof that great bowlers shape other great bowlers. Starc didn’t teach him personally, but he taught him in the way all legends teach kids watching at home: by making brilliance look irresistible.

 

And now, as Shaheen enters his own prime and Starc continues rewriting left-arm records at 35, the baton isn’t being passed, it’s being shared across timelines. One inspired the other; one will inspire the next.

 

Key Takeaway

Shaheen Afridi’s fuller, destructive new-ball strategy wasn’t born in Pakistan; it was sparked by Starc’s 2015 thunderbolts.

 

FAQs

 

1. What did Shaheen learn from Mitchell Starc?

Primarily, the value of bowling full with swing, especially early in the innings.

 

2. Why does Shaheen consider Starc a role model?

Because Starc’s 2015 World Cup performance shaped his mindset and technique as a young left-armer.

 

3. How have the two interacted in person?

They talk whenever they meet, discussing technical cues, mindset, and swing mechanics.