Shahid Afridi

Player Bio
Full Name: Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi
Date of Birth: 1st March, 1980
Place of Birth: Khyber Agency, NWFP, Pakistan
Age: 26 years
Height: 5 feet, 11 inches
Nickname: Boom Boom Afridi, Lala
Right handed Batsman and Right Arm Legbreak Bowler










Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (Pashto: صاحبزاده محمد شاهد خان افریدی, Urdu: صاحبزادہ محمد شاہد خان آفریدی) (born 1 March 1980 in Khyber Agency), popularly known as Shahid Afridi (Pashto: شاهد ‏افریدی), is a Pakistani cricketer currently playing for the Pakistani national team. He made his ODI debut on 2 October 1996 against Kenya in Nairobi[1] and his Test debut on 22 October 1998 against Australia at Karachi.[2] He is known for his aggressive batting style, and currently holds the highest career strike rate in the history of international cricket. In a recent survey, Afridi was named as the most popular cricketer in Pakistan.[3] He also holds the record for the fastest one day century.





Batting Style

His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi" for his fastest One Day International century just in 37 balls.[4] As of 22 May 2007, he has an ODI strike rate of 109.38 runs per 100 balls, the highest in the game's history. This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a relatively high strike rate of 86.13 in Tests. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of an audience, as shown when a mass exodus of spectators occurred in Pakistan in late 2005 following his dismissal from the crease. He hits many sixes long and high, favoring straight down the ground or over midwicket.



A trademark shot is a crossbatted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump.[5]. This explosive style has led to some memorable shots, most notably the first ever 12 in power cricket in 2002, where Afridi successfully hit the roof. [6] However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket. This is reflected by the fact that he is the only player to score more than 5000 ODI runs at an average under 25.[7]
Bowling-wise, his stock ball is the leg break, but his armory also includes the conventional off break and a 'quicker one' which he can deliver at nearly 80 mph in the style of a medium-pacer.



International career

In October 1996 at the age of sixteen he was brought into the ODI team as a legspinner as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He then gained notability as a pinch-hitter and began opening with Saeed Anwar. He holds the record for scoring the fastest century in One Day Internationals (off 37 balls) [9], scored in his 2nd match and first ODI innings. He also shares with Brian Lara the record for the third fastest century in ODIs (off 45 balls). One of Pakistan's most useful all-rounders, his extremely aggressive batting style has garnered him over 5000 ODI runs (including a world-record 229 sixes, now broken by Sanath Jayasuriya) as well as taking over 200 ODI wickets and 47 at Test level.



For various reasons, including a perception that he lacks patience in his batting, Afridi had limited opportunity in Test matches. However, Afridi made his presence felt in the third Test against India in March 2005, scoring a quick-fire second-innings half-century and taking five wickets in the match (including Sachin Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan win the game and register a series draw.



Career Highlights

On 4 October 1996, playing his maiden international innings, Afridi hit the fastest One-Day century off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi. His innings included 28 runs off one of Sanath Jayasuriya's overs, whose record he broke. [11]

* Youngest player in history to make an ODI century at just 16 years and 217 days with his 37 ball ton against Sri Lanka. It included 11 sixes and 6 fours. [12]

* Made a half-century from 26 balls and took 3 second-innings wickets in Pakistan's series-drawing Test victory against India in March 2005.[10]

* Holds the joint record with Brian Lara for the third fastest ODI century off 45 balls in April 2005 against India. [13] This actually was the first match that witnessed the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri make him the nickname Boom Boom Afridi.[14]

* Equal highest aggregate sixes scored in the 50-over game, shared the legendary Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya, and he the most sixes per innings record.[15]

* Scored four consecutive sixes off a Harbhajan Singh over in a Test match against India in January 2006, matching a feat that Kapil Dev achieved in 1990. [16]

* Was the First player to score 12 runs off one ball, by hitting the roof of the Millennium Stadium. This took place in a game of Power Cricket.[citation needed]

* Holds four of the top eight fastest ODI half centuries, twice completed in 18 balls and twice in 20 balls. He has also scored a half century off just 21 balls. [17]

* Made 32 runs off a Malinga Bandara over in an ODI game at Abu Dhabi in 2007. He struck four consecutive sixes and it was the 2nd most expensive over in ODI history.

* Afridi is only third player in ODI history to achieve the combination of 5000 runs and 200 wickets. The other players being Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and South African

* Youngest player in history to make an ODI century at just 16 years and 217 days with his 37 ball ton against Sri Lanka. It included 11 sixes and 6 fours.







Test Centuries

* In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
* The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

Test Centuries of Shahid Afridi
Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 141 2 India Chennai, India MA Chidambaram Stadium 1999
[2] 107 12 West Indies Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002
[3] 122 18 West Indies Bridgetown, Barbados Kensington Oval 2005
[4] 103 21 India Lahore, Pakistan Gaddafi Stadium 2006
[5] 156 22 India Faisalabad, Pakistan Iqbal Stadium 2006

[edit] One Day International Centuries

* In the column Runs, * indicates being not out
* The column title Match refers to the Match Number of the player's career

One Day International Centuries of Shahid Afridi
Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 102 2 Sri Lanka Nairobi, Kenya Nairobi Gymkhana Club 1996
[2] 109 65 India Toronto, Canada Toronto CSCC 1998
[3] 108* 146 New Zealand Sharjah, United Arab Emirates Sharjah C.A. Stadium 2002
[4] 102 204 India Kanpur, India Green Park 2005

[edit] Controversies