Muhammad Shahid Khan Afridi, known as “Lala and Boom Boom” is a former Pakistani international cricketer and captain of the Pakistan international cricket team.
Shahid Afridi was a dynamic all-rounder, he was a right-handed batter and right-arm leg spinner. He made his international debut against Kenya in an ODI match held on October 2, 1996.
About Shahid Afridi:
Shahid Afridi was born on March 1, 1977. He played his debut match against Kenya on October 2, 1996. In his 2nd international match, Shahid Afridi played his first international inning against Sri Lanka in an ODI, Afridi broke the record for the fastest century in the ODI format by doing so in 37 deliveries.
Afridi’s Test And T20 International Debut:
Shahid Afridi made his test debut against Australia in 1998 and his T20 international debut in 2006 against England.
Family Members:
The father of Shahid Afridi is Sahabzada Fazal-ur-Rehman Afridi. He belongs to the Afridi tribe of Pashtoons in FATA. His brothers’ names are Ashfaq Afridi and Tariq Afridi. His daughters are Ansha Afridi, Aqsa Afridi, Ajwa Afridi, Asmara Afridi, and Arwa Afridi.
Shahid Afridi As A Batter:
Shahid Afridi’s batting style was extraordinary. He can change the game in his team’s favor in just a few overs. He won countless matches for the Pakistan cricket team and also for his domestic or franchise teams. He was one of the most explosive all-rounders in the history of cricket and no doubt cricket never has and never will see another all-rounder like him.
Shahid Khan Afridi As A BOWLER:
Afridi was a genuine wicket-taker bowler. Like his batting, he was also beneficial for his team with his bowling skills. In his international career, Shahid Afridi picked 541 wickets combined in T20, ODIs, and test formats. Afridi’s bowling was particularly efficient in ODIs. He took over 350 ODI wickets, making him one of the top wicket-takers in the format. His record of the most five-wicket hauls in ODIs demonstrated his consistency and ability to execute match-winning performances.
Captaincy Excellence:
Afridi was also named Pakistan’s Test captain, although he retired after only one match in charge. He guided Pakistan to the 2011 Cricket World Cup semi-finals, where they lost to rival India. Afridi was relieved of his ODI captaincy in 2011.
In 2015, Afridi retired from ODI cricket. Meanwhile, he also led the Pakistan Cricket team after Younis Khan’s retirement. Still, after some time he was banned from the T20 format for two matches after being caught on camera biting the ball in 2010 against Australia in the 5th Commonwealth ODI. Babar Azam also played with Afridi.
Afridi As A Fielder:
Shahid Afridi was energetic on the field. He took many spectacular catches and made many good runouts. He took 167 catches in his international career and did many runouts through his exceptional fielding.
Afridi’s Achievements In His Career:
Shahid Afridi achieved so many things during his career. He faced many ups and downs throughout his career. Some of the major achievements of Afridi’s career are discussed below:
Top Records Of Afridi:
- 8th youngest player to score a hundred (18y 333d).
- Afridi scored a hundred and a duck in the same test match.
- 8th youngest player to take five- wickets in a test match (18y 235d).
- Shahid Afridi is the 4th most player of the match awards in One Day International matches (32).
- In the One Day International format, Shahid Afridi is the 7th player with the most runs by batting position (124).
- Afridi has the 5th highest strike rate in his One Day International career, “117.00”.
- He is the youngest player to score a hundred in ODIs (16y 217d).
- He has 2nd most ducks in his One Day International career (30).
- Shahid Afridi hit 351 sixes in his ODI career leaving everyone behind. Currently, the Indian cricket team’s captain Rohit Sharma coming close to his record by hitting 331 sixes in his career. He has a great chance to break this record and hopefully, he will achieve this milestone.
- Muhammad Shahid recorded the best figure in One Day International format against the West Indies (7/12).
- He took the 4-wicket haul in 3 consecutive innings in ODIs.
- Due to his wicket-taking ability, Afridi bowled 3rd most balls in his ODI career.
- Afridi held the record for the most runs conceded in the ODIs (13632).
- 2nd most wickets taken by lbw (leg before wicket) in ODIs (73).
- Afridi also held the record of hitting 50 runs and taking a 5-fer in the same ODI match.
- Shahid Afridi is on the list for hitting 1000 runs, taking 50 wickets, and also taking 50 catches, which shows his importance for the Pakistan International cricket team.
- In his T20 international career, Afridi took 39 wickets by bowled which is 4th most in the T20 International format.
- In his entire cricket career (ODI, T20, and Test) he was named player of the match reward in 43 matches which is 8th most in international cricket.
- Shahid Afridi hit 476 sixes in his combined career (Test, T20, and ODIs) which is 3rd most overall in his entire international cricket career.
- Afridi is out on a duck (44) times in his overall international career which is 10th most in the history of international cricket.
- 7th most wickets taken by caught and bowled (26) in ODIs, Test, and T20 career combined.
- Afridi bowled 7th most balls in his T20 international career (2168).
- Shahid was awarded “Player of the Series” (3) times in his T20i career, which ranked 10th in the T20 format overall.
- Muhammad Afridi scored 5000 runs and got 50 fielding dismissals in his One Day International career.
- In the T20i format, Afridi scored (3) the fifties which is the 10th most in the T20 format.
- Afridi bowled the fastest bowl by a spinner (134km/h).
- Pakistan cricket team won its maiden T20i World Cup title in 2009, Afridi was named ”Player of the Match” for his unbeaten 54 runs and figures of 1/20 in 4 overs.
- Afridi also holds the record for the highest six hit ever in cricket history (163m)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who has the record for hitting the longest six in cricket?
Pakistan’s former cricketer and captain, Shahid Afridi hit the longest six in cricket history (163m).
What is Shahid Afridi’s nickname?
Muhammad Shahid Afridi is also known as “Lala” and “Boom Boom”.
What’s the best figure of Shahid in One Day International?
Afridi recorded the figure of 7/12 in an ODI match against West Indies.
How many sixes did Shahid Afridi hit in his international career?
Former Pakistani International middle-order batter Shahid Afridi hit 476 sixes in his ODIs, T20i, and Test career combined.
What is the fastest ball of Shahid Afridi?
Shahid Afridi bowled the fastest ball by a spinner (134km/h) which is faster than Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s career spell.
How many wickets Shahid Afridi has taken in his career?
In his entire international career, Afridi took 541 wickets in ODI, Test, and T20 formats combined.
Conclusion:
Shahid Afridi was known for his energetic presence on the field. He took 167 catches and executed numerous impressive runouts throughout his international career, showcasing his exceptional fielding skills. Afridi’s career was filled with achievements, as he faced various challenges along the way. He was known for his exceptional power-hitting ability. He can turn the match in his team’s favor in just a few overs of spare. He was a nightmare for batter and bowler both because of his unbelievable all-round skill.
