Shahid Afridi

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Shahid Afridi
Pakistan
Personal information
Batting style	Right hand bat
Bowling style	Right-arm medium Legbreak googly
Career statistics
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	26	258
Runs scored	1683	5413
Batting average	37.40	23.74
100s/50s	5/8	4/29
Top score	156	109
Balls bowled	3092	10418
Wickets	47	229
Bowling average	34.89	34.99
5 wickets in innings	1	2
10 wickets in match	0	n/a
Best bowling	5/52	5/11
Catches/stumpings	10/-	90/-
As of 19 April 2008 Source: Cricinfo

Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (Urdu: صاحبزادہ محمد شاہد خان آفریدی) (born 1 March 1980 in Khyber Agency to Pashtun parents of the Afridi tribe in Kohat), popularly known as Shahid Afridi or by his nickname Boom Boom Afridi, is a Pakistani cricketer currently playing for the Pakistani national team. He made his ODI debut on October 2, 1996 against Kenya in Nairobi^[1] and his Test debut on October 22, 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 is married to Nadia, and they have 2 daughters, Aqsa and Ansha [1].

[edit] 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 May 22, 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. He bowls at a high speed for a spinner, resulting in lesser turn, and relying more on variations in speed. He occasionally sends down a bouncer to a batsmen, which is very rare for a spin bowler. ^[8]

[edit] International career

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Afridi's Test match batting career, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line).

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. ^[10]

It is perceived that his batting struggles on bouncy pitches and against opponents like Australia, although his record against the Australians has improved over time. Though he has had success as an opener on sub-continent pitches, Afridi is often moved into the lower order as well.

Afridi was more consistent with his batting and bowling throughout 2005, starting from the tours of India and West Indies and into the England tour. The Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer helped Afridi to reach a fuller potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting attitude.

In the 2007 World Twenty20 he performed poorly with the bat but brilliantly with the ball to earn him the Man of the Series award, though he failed to take a wicket in the final and was out for a golden duck.

[edit] Temporary Test retirement and return

On April 12, 2006, Afridi announced a temporary retirement from Test cricket until after the 2007 World Cup so that he could concentrate on ODIs. Even then his performance in county cricket for Ireland recently had declined and he bowled better than he batted. He also claimed that the workload was too much to cope with.

However, on April 27, 2006, after much discussion with Shaharyar Khan, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Afridi reversed his decision. Despite this, Afridi was later dropped from the Test team in early August 2006 after three quick-fire innings against England. He was placed well down the batting order, away from his more usual spot in the middle-order, and displayed flamboyantly reckless strokeplay on the bouncy English pitches, leading to short but entertaining innings.

[edit] 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.^[13]

• Holds the joint record with Brian Lara for the third fastest ODI century off 45 balls in April 2005 against India. ^[14] This actually was the first match that witnessed the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri make him the nickname Boom Boom Afridi.^[15]

• 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.^[16]

• 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. ^[17]

• 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.

• 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 of just 21 balls. ^[18]

• 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 Jacques Kallis.

[edit] Test Centuries

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

[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

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Pitch-tampering

On 21 November 2005, Shahid Afridi was banned for a Test match and two one-day internationals for deliberately damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England. TV cameras pictured him scraping his boots on the pitch scuffing surface when play was held up after a gas canister exploded. Afridi later pleaded guilty to a level three breach of the ICC code of conduct relating to the spirit of the game. Inquiries were made and Afridi's antics came into view. He was investigated and banned after the day's play, along with receiving a huge amount of criticism from the cricketing world for bringing the game into disrepute.

Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: "This ban should serve as a message to players that this type of behaviour is not allowed." On this Afridi accepted his fault and said that a "senior player like me should set good examples to others because they see us to learn." His behaviour was also condemned by the Pakistan Cricket Board. ^[19][20][21]

[edit] Spectator Incident

Afridi was charged on February 8, 2007 of bringing the game into disrepute after he was seen on camera thrusting his bat at a spectator who abused him on his way up the steps after being dismissed. Replays seemed to show that the action was not meant to cause injury, though the spectator had to move out of the way to avoid light contact. Afridi was found guilty and given a four-game ODI suspension, the minimum possible ban for such an offense, meaning that he would miss Pakistan's first two 2007 World Cup matches. The PCB and Afridi chose not to appeal the ban, despite feeling that the punishment was excessively harsh. It should be noted that the South African Cricket administrators and the spectator were both also rebuked for playing a part in the causation of the incident. ^[22]

[edit] Involvement in Asif-Akhtar fight

In the week before the Twenty20 world cup match in South Africa, Shoaib Akhtar had hit fellow Pakistani player Mohammad Asif with a bat, leaving a bruise on his left thigh. Sources said the fight between the two started after Asif and Shahid Afridi disagreed with Shoaib that he shared the same stature as Imran Khan in Pakistan cricket and even ridiculed him for making such a comparison.^[23] Akhtar later claimed that Afridi was responsible for the fight, saying "He made some ill remarks about my family. And I could not tolerate them"^[24] Afridi however, denied these allegations adding that Asif would have suffered more injuries but for his intervention.^[25] Mohammad Asif agreed that Shoaib Akhtar was indeed lying and that "Shahid Afridi had nothing to do with the fight", saying that "he has not apologised to me." ^[26]

[edit] See also

• Pakistan cricket team

[edit] External links

• Shahid Afridi Official Fan Club
• Cricinfo page on Shahid Afridi
• Shahid Afridi Fastest Hundred Video
• Afridi pitch attack movie
• Q and A from SPIN magazine, 2006

[edit] References

v • d • e Pakistan squad - 1999 Cricket World Cup 1 Wasim Akram (c) • 2 Abdul Razzaq • 3 Azhar Mahmood • 4 Ijaz Ahmed • 5 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 6 Moin Khan (wk) • 7 Mushtaq Ahmed • 8 Saeed Anwar • 9 Saleem Malik • 10 Saqlain Mushtaq • 11 Shahid Afridi • 12 Shoaib Akhtar • 13 Wajahatullah Wasti • 14 Waqar Younis • 15 Yousuf Youhana

v • d • e Pakistan squad - 2003 Cricket World Cup 1 Waqar Younis (c) • 2 Abdul Razzaq • 3 Azhar Mahmood • 4 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 5 Mohammad Sami • 6 Rashid Latif (wk) • 7 Saeed Anwar • 8 Saleem Elahi • 9 Saqlain Mushtaq • 10 Shahid Afridi • 11 Shoaib Akhtar • 12 Taufeeq Umar • 13 Wasim Akram • 14 Younis Khan • 15 Yousuf Youhana • Coach: Pybus

v • d • e Pakistan squad - 2007 Cricket World Cup 1 Inzamam-ul-Haq • 2 Younis Khan • 3 Azhar Mahmood • 4 Danish Kaneria • 5 Iftikhar Anjum • 6 Imran Nazir • 7 Kamran Akmal • 8 Mohammad Hafeez • 9 Mohammad Sami • 10 Mohammad Yousuf • 11 Rana Naved-ul-Hasan • 12 Shahid Afridi • 13 Shoaib Malik • 14 Umar Gul • 15 Yasir Arafat • Coach: Woolmer Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif and Abdul Razzaq were named in the original squad but injuries led to them being withdrawn. Mushtaq Ahmed acted as temporary coach for Pakistan's final group game following the death of Bob Woolmer.