Shaheen Shah Afridi meme has been going viral on the internet ever since the India vs Pakistan cricket match for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 on 24th October 2021. The player performed remarkably and received the man of the match award. It was Pakistan’s first-ever victory against India in the ICC World Cup tournament so the excitement was through the roof.
The meme features a smiling face of Pakistan’s pacer which surprised the cricket fans who initially compared it with a sofa. However, more funny memes started to circulate the social media, using the bowler’s face. Folks often used this meme to mock someone or something cheeky or mildly evil.
Shaheen Shah Afridi Meme Looks Like a Know-All Smile
Many have felt that in this picture Shaheen looked like someone who knew something that others didn’t. For most of the time, fans were using this picture as a representation of their reaction to Pakistan’s win over a much bigger team, India. However, the picture has now gone far beyond the context of cricket matches. Shaheen Shah Afridi meme has also become a regular template for jokes like other famous ones.
The Familiar Wickedness
Shaheen Shah Afridi meme contains an expression of the bowler that may have looked more wicked than usual. It can be a reference to many such situations where one party becomes happy over another’s embarrassment. For example, teenagers in school often develop crushes for their counterparts but they do not want anyone to expose or even probe that. Friends who may try to tease someone over the presence of their crush often have a similar look on their faces.
Calls for NFTing it
Shaheen Shah Afridi meme became so popular that it reached international artists. A comedian from New Zealand Ben Javert used it in an epic context of Fall of Troy. He related Shaheen’s expression to the Greek hero, Odysseus, from the poem The Odyssey. He played a key role in Trojan War by tricking his opponents into thinking that Greeks have abandoned the war. However, they didn’t and hid inside a wooden horse that ended up in the Trojan settlement. The Greek warriors then smashed out of the horse and massacred the unsuspecting Trojans.
After looking at the popularity of this meme, social media users have suggested Pakistan create its NFT and make money.
Some of the most popular memes in Pakistan have emerged from cricket matches. One example is the angry fan meme which perfectly describes the frustrated reaction of a Pakistani supporter after losing a match. It originated in 2019 World Cup when Pakistan lost to Australia.
