Shahid Afridi

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Shahid Afridi
Pakistan (Pak)
Shahid Afridi
Batting style Right-handed batsman (RHB)
Bowling type Right arm Medium (RM), Legbreak (LB), googly
Tests ODIs
Matches 26 225
Runs scored 1683 4835
Batting average 37.40 23.47
100s/50s 5/8 4/26
Top score 156 109
Balls bowled 3092 8773
Wickets 47 187
Bowling average 34.89 36.15
5 wickets in innings 1 2
10 wickets in match - N/A
Best bowling 5/52 5/11
Catches/stumpings 10/- 82/-

As of 11 August 2006
Source: Cricinfo.com

Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (Urdu: صاحبزادہ محمد شاہد خان آفریدی) (born March 1, 1980 in Khyber Agency to Pashtun parents of the Afridi tribe) popularly known as Shahid Afridi is a Pakistani cricketer and all-rounder who has represented Pakistani cricket since 1996 at international level. He made his ODI debut on October 2, 1996 against Kenya at Nairobi [1] and his Test debut on October 22, 1998 against Australia at Karachi.[2]

Contents

[edit] Style

His general style of batting is explosive and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi".[citation needed] He has an ODI strike rate of 108.16 runs per 100 balls, the highest in the game. This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a strike rate of 86.13 in Tests, even higher than that of such a notable as Adam Gilchrist. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of an audience. 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. [3]. This explosive style has lead to some memorable shots, most notably the first ever 12 in power cricket in 2002, where Afridi successfully hit the roof. [4]

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 occasionally sends down a bouncer to a batsmen. [5]

[edit] 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)[6], 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 4,500 ODI runs (including a world-record 226 sixes) as well as taking over 180 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.[7]

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 middle 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 a free reign over his batting attitude.

[edit] Pitch-tampering controversy

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. [8][9][10]

[edit] Temporary Test retirement and return

On April 12, 2006, Shahid 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 and Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, 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

  • In his 2nd ODI match hit a record 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka on his debut innings in October 1996, scoring 28 runs off a Sanath Jayasuriya over on the way to beating the Sri Lankan's own century record. [11]
  • 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. [12]
  • Scored the joint 3rd fastest ODI century off 45 balls in April 2005 against India. [13]
  • 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. [14]
  • 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. [15]

[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
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
Test Centuries of Shahid Afridi
Runs Match Against City/Country Venue Year
[1] 102 2 Sri Lanka Nairobi, Kenya Gymkhana Club Ground 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] See also

[edit] External links

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