Biography of Shahid Afridi:- Shahid Afridi, son of a tribal Pathan, is one of the most aggressive batsmen in the history of cricket. His leg-spin bowling and stunning fielding helped him play 398 ODIs, 27 test matches, and 82 T20 internationals.
Shahid Afridi is the most successful all-rounder in T20 cricket with 1000+ runs and 83 wickets. Afridi has millions of fans around the world; his huge fan base is in India, he once said in a press conference that “Indians love me more than Pakistanis” that created a serious controversy and disappointment from his die hard Pakistani fans.
However, Afridi fans never let him down, they chanted Boom Boom, though mostly he didn’t come up to the expectations because of his non-serious batting and unplanned approach towards the ball.
Biography of Shahid Afridi
- Born:- 1 March 1980 (age 37), Khyber Agency
- ODI Debut:- 2 October 1996 v Kenya
- Test Debut:- 22 October 1998 v Australia
- T20 Debut:- 28 Aug 2006 v England
- Siblings:- Javed Afridi
- Spouse:- Nadia Afridi
Shahid Afridi Stats & Records
Shahid was born on 1st March 1980 in Khyber Agency, FATA. His father moved to Karachi when he was of young age. He studied and played in Karachi. Afridi was always a hard hitter of the ball, he loved hitting sixes. Afridi started his first-class career as a leg-spinner, he was given a chance in international cricket team when he was 16 years old.
He made his first ODI century, an unexpected century to be expected from a leg-spinner at age of 16 years 257 days in his first innings as a batsman. Shahid Afridi focused on bowling rather than focusing on batting. Still, he is the most dynamic athlete and a great person.
Shahid Afridi International Career
The biography of Shahid Afridi is full of ups and downs, controversies, achievements, and unbroken records that still wait to be bested. Shahid started as a replacement bowler in Sameer Cup, when he was just 16 years old.
As a young, energetic, and determined cricketer, Afridi utilized the opportunity, took wickets, scored fastest century in ODI history that was broken after almost 20 years by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson in 36 balls, later bested by South Africa’s AB De Villiers, when he scored an ODI century off 31 balls.
Shahid Afridi batting style is typical street batting style of sub-continent cricketers, he holds the bat from the middle or top, his cricket bat is considered the heaviest followed by Charis Gayle’s cricket bat in International cricket.
He pursued his bowling career as a medium pacer until he found out that he could not do it without good variations and techniques that he lacked as fast bowlers, his coaches advised him to give leg-spin a try. Afridi started following the googly master Abdul Qadir and adopted his style.
Shahid Afridi bowling style is orthodox spin with speed variations, bouncers, off-break, and leg-break. Afridi loves to hit straight down the ground or square the shot for leg side or off side boundary. Most of Shahid Afridi sixes came out from square and mid-on positions.
Afridi lacks the ability to track slower deliveries or quick bouncers, he usually panics and hits it in the air. Contrary to that, Afridi is one of the best players of spin bowling; he loves to play spin, he once bashed four sixes in an over to India’s finest spinner Harbhajan, his two back-to-back sixes in crucial Asia Cup 2016 final to Ashwin were a delight to watch.
Shahid Afridi ODI Career
ODI cricket is incomplete without Shahid Afridi sixes. Shahid Afridi is a six-machine in ODI cricket. With 351sixes in 398 matches (369 innings) Afridi is way beyond anyone’s reach to break his sixes record.
Shahid Afridi, after playing almost 400 ODI matches has an unbelievable strike rate of 117 with an average of 24. He is the third batsman in history having such high strike rate.
In the same match when he scored a century off 37 balls, he made a record of most number of sixes in an ODI innings, Pakistan scored second highest ODI runs i.e. 371 in an ODI innings.
In April 2005, Shahid Afridi struck second-fastest century in ODI cricket off 45 balls, and first prize already belonged to Afridi that time. It came out against arch rivals India. Afridi was made the captain of Pakistan Cricket Team in all formats of the game in late 2009.
He became a full-time captain of Pakistan in 2010. He later opted for T20 and ODI cricket as he said ‘I do not have test cricket temperament‘. Afridi was appointed a captain for 2011 World Cup, Pakistan were brilliant in the world Cup played in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Pakistan comprehensively reached the semi-finals topping group points table, beating West Indies in the quarterfinals winning by ten wickets.
Pakistan met with hosts India in 2nd Semifinal that Pakistan lost after a competitive game of cricket. Afridi was the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets equaling with Zaheer Khan.
Since 2011 World Cup, Afridi announced his retirement several times and reversed the decision. After too much drama, Afridi finally retired from One Day International cricket after he played his last match against Australia in World Cup Quarterfinals.
Afridi and Misbah ul haq retired at the same time, Azhar replaced Misbah as a captain. Afridi continued to play T20 cricket, Misbah, on the other hand, decided to focus only on test cricket as a captain.
Shahid Afridi batted at top order preferably opened innings on Asian tracks and succeeded in his early career. He was completely out of form in batting since 2011 world cup. Afridi, however, had a great career as a bowler that he describes himself a bowler.
Shahid Afridi T20 Career
Shahid Afridi is the most successful batsman of short T20 history, and he has the most number of wickets, 92 in 92 matches with 1200+ runs in the format. Afridi performed well with the ball in ICC T20 World Cup 2007, but failed to excel in the batting department.
He came back as a reliable batsman in 2009 World Cup, his innings in the semifinal against South Africa and Final match against Srilanka were game winning.
Shahid Afridi considers himself a specialist t20 bowler than a batsman, his variety in his leg-break and googly is impressive and tricky enough to get a wicket off every good delivery. Shahid Afridi, in the similar fashion, has made and reversed his decisions of retirement in T20 format.
The last time he retired from T20 cricket was in 2016, when he hinted a full retirement from all forms of the game. After Pakistan’s miserable performance in 2016 T20 World Cup, Afridi told media that he wouldn’t retire. Instead, he can no longer bear the burden of captaincy. Instead, he is fit to play as a player in the team.
Waqar Younis, a former Pakistan coach, termed him non-serious and stubborn, he added that Afridi never listens to anyone and make his decisions alone in and outside the field, in team meetings, and in the dressing room.
His fans fully supported his statement; the whole country cursed Waqar Younis for blaming Afridi alone after someone leaked the inquiry report to media.
Test Career of Shahid Afridi
Afridi played his first test match after two years in One Day International Cricket. He had a blistering strike rate of 86.93 in test cricket, highest in that format. His aggressive temperament barred selectors from picking Shahid Afridi in test cricket squad.
Shahid Afridi stats and career records show him more fruitful and consistent in bowling department despite his fastest centuries and few match winning innings as a batsman. Afridi played 27 test innings, scored 1716 runs with an average 36.51.
He took one fiver-wicket haul and total 48 wickets in test cricket. Afridi scored most of his centuries in test cricket i.e. five centuries.
Afridi retired from Test cricket after he was handed the captaincy of all three formats in 2010, he played his last test match in Lords’ cricket ground as a captain. He announced his retirement after the match saying he don’t have the nature required for test cricket.
First Class and T20 Cricket Leagues
Shahid Afridi had a tremendous list-A and first class career, plus he is the most desirable player in cricket leagues. He represented Karachi as a bowling all-rounder since 1995, he is still playing for Karachi.
After selection in the national cricket team, Shahid Afridi was picked by Habib Bank Limited; there were few international cricketers in HBL team. His seniors helped him in bowling and batting department.
At the peak of his career, Afridi signed an expensive contract with English county club Leicestershire for the 2001-02 seasons. For 2003 season, another English club Derbyshire signed him for his brilliant performances in the previous summer season. In the subsequent years, Griqualand West and Kent picked him as an all-rounder.
Shahid Afridi participated in the first edition of Indian Premier League for Deccan Chargers. Shahid Afridi has the highest strike rate for Deccan Chargers i.e. 176.08, he played ten matches and scored 81 run in 9 innings with nine wickets.
After the ban on Pakistani players, they never played except British Pakistani Azhar Mahmood. Shahid Afridi was drafted by Southern RedBacks for the first season of Big Bash League in 2010; he later played for Melbourne Renegades in 2011.
Afridi is one of the highest paid players in Pakistan Super League and Bangladesh Premier League. Afridi was appointed captain in Rangpur Riders in Bangladesh Premier League 2016 season, he previously played for Chittagong Vikings in 2015. Afridi contested in SLPL for Ruhuna Royals.
Afridi is a key player and a former captain of PSL team Peshawar Zalmi. Afridi is also an honorary president of Peshawar Zalmi, a team owned by his first cousin Javed Afridi.
Recently, Afridi handed the captaincy to former West Indian skipper and two times world champion captain in T20 Darren Sammy for 2017 season of PSL.
Controversies and Scandals
Shahid Afridi was part of several controversies with cricket board, media, and with his fellow cricketers. He was alleged of ball tempering in a match against Australia, he was caught biting a ball in the fifth test of Common Wealth Bank Series.
He was banned for two T20 internationals and fined by International Cricket Council. Afridi was captured in a conflict with a spectator who swore at him, Afridi was banned for four ODIs by ICC. Afridi was blamed by Coach Waqar Younis that he is stubborn to listen to anyone in the dressing room after a humiliating defeat in ICC T20 World Cup 2016.
He was also criticized for not supporting Misbah in ODIs when Misbah was ODI captain. Afridi was alleged by Indian model Arshi Khan that he had a love affair with her in Dubai and India.
The recent controversy between Shahid Afridi and Javed Miandad unfolded after unfair comments made on both sides against each other. Miandad alleged Afridi that he fixed several matches early in his career, they later reconciled on the matter.
Shahid Afridi Foundation
Afridi is a renowned athlete philanthropist, he established “Shahid Afridi Foundation” that provides health and educational facilities to the people of poor tribal areas of Pakistan. He was listed among 20 most charitable athletes in the world by Do Something Organization in 2015.
Shahid Afridi has built Sahibzada Fazal Rehman Memorial and Charity Hospital in Kohat in collaboration with Haier Pakistan and government of KPK.
Afridi foundation is efficient in the construction of tube wells, schools, rehabilitation centers for drug addicts, and scholarships for needy kids. Afridi charity work extends to UAE, UK, and the USA. He has few regular donors in every country due to his good name in charity.
Afridi is also an official Sports ambassador for the government of Pakistan and UNICEF for polio campaigns in far-flung areas of Pakistan.
Shahid Afridi Family and Personal Life
Afridi has always kept away his family, especially his wife. Shahid Afridi wife Nadia Afridi is never seen on TV. However, Shahid Afridi daughters often appear on TV shows alongside Afridi and cricket matches.
One of his brothers Tariq Afridi also played first-class cricket for Karachi and HBL. His brothers are handling their father’s transport business in Karachi.
Afridi is among few cricketers or sportsman to meet Army Chiefs and Prime Minister one-on-one, he is a heartthrob of Pakistani fast, especially kids and youth of Pakistan.
Every child in Pakistan loves Shahid Afridi. Shahid Afridi wedding was arranged marriage held in Karachi with Nadia on 21st October 2000. Both have four beautiful daughters, Ajwa Afridi, Asmara Afridi, Aqsa Afridi, and Ansha Afridi. Shahid Afridi Family has always been in the news headlines.
