Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi(Urdu: صاحبزادہ محمد شاہد خان آفریدی) (born 1 March 1980 in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan, popularly known asShahid Afridi (Pashto:شاهد افریدی), is a Pakistani Cricketer. Between 1996 and 2012, Afridi played 27 Tests, 334 One Day Internationals, and 46 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) for the Pakistani national team. He made his ODI debut on 2 October 1996 against Kenya and his Test debut on 22 October 1998 against Australia.
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He is known for his aggressive batting style, and holds the record for the fastest ODI century which he made in his first international innings, as well as scoring 32 runs in a single over, the second highest scoring over ever in an ODI. He also holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket
His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname “Boom Boom Afridi”. Moreover, out of the seven fastest ODI centuries of all time, Afridi has produced three of them. As of 19 April 2011, he has an ODI strike rate of 113.88 runs per 100 balls, the fourth 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 86.97. 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, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket and hit the longest ever six in the history of ODIs against Australia. His trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump. 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 6,000 ODI runs at an average under 25. Afridi has moved about the batting order, and this lack of consistency has made it difficult for him to settle. In the Indian subcontinent, where the ball quickly loses its shine, he prefers to open the batting however elsewhere he prefers to bat at number six.
Having started as a fast bowler, Afridi decided to start bowling spin after he was told he was throwing. He modelled himself on Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir. Afridi began his career as primarily a bowler, however after scoring the fastest century in his maiden ODI innings more was expected of him with the bat. He considers himself a better bowler than batsman. While he is renowned for his aggressive batting, he is also a handy leg-spinner capable of producing a good mix of wicket taking balls. He has over 300 International Wickets, most of which are from the ODI format. While his stock ball is the leg break, his armoury also includes the conventional off break and a “quicker one” which he can deliver in the style of a medium-pacer, reaching speeds of around 130 km/h (81 mph). 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 batsman, which is very rare for a spin bowler.
His records are:
Fastest Century:
In his second One-day International, and his very first innings, Shahid Afridi walked in with Waqar Younis’ bat [gifted to Waqar by Sachin Tendulkar], and blasted the then World Champions, Sri Lanka for the fastest ever 100 in one-day International cricket. His destructive innings brought up three figures in just 37 balls. Afridi also holds the record for the 4th (100 of 45 deliveries) and 7th(100 of 53 deliveries) fastest hundreds which he smashed against India and Bangladesh respectively.Fastest Fifty:
Shahid Afridi also holds the record for twice hitting the second fastest fifty in one-day Internationals (off 18 deliveries), and he has the record for hitting the 5th fastest fifty to his name as well (off 19 deliveries).Shahid Afridi has also scored fifties off 20,21 and 22 deliveries.Youngest player to score a hundred:
Shahid Afridi is the youngest player ever to hit a one-day International’s century. He scored his first century of International career at the age of just 16-years and 217-days.
Highest career strike rate:
Shahid Afridi has the *highest strike-rate in one-day International’s [5882 runs] at a strike-rate of 113.82 per 100 balls.
*Minimum qualification for this record [1000 ODI runs]
Most sixes in career:
Shahid Afridi holds the record for hitting the most sixes in one-day International’s, he has so far smashed 289 sixes in 325 matches. Sanath Jayasuriya who is second in the list has 270 sixes to his name in 444 ODI matches.
Most runs off one over:
Shahid Afridi holds the number two position in scoring most run off one over in ODI’s, in 2007 he smashed Sri Lanka’s CM Bandara for 32 runs in over [the most runs off one over record belongs to South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs 36 in one over].
Most matches in career:
Shahid Afridi is 10th in the list of most one-day International’s played by a cricketer. Among the Pakistani cricketers he sits in at number three behind only Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim Akram.
Most Man of the Match Awards:
Shahid Afridi has won the man of the match award 24 times in his career, among Pakistani’s he is second only to Saeed Anwar who has 28 man of the match awards.
Most wickets in career:
Shahid Afridi is one of eleven players who have taken more than 300 wickets in one-day Internationals, he sits at the number ten position jointly with India’s Javagal Srinath, having taken 315 wickets in one-day Internationals. Shahid Afridi is also the third highest wicket-taker from Pakistan in one-day International’s behind two legends of Pakistan cricket Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.Most wickets in T20 career:
Shahid Afridi also holds the record of being the leading wickets taker in T20 International’s, he has 53 wickets to his name leading fellow Pakistani’s Umar Gul, second with [47 wickets] and Saeed Ajmal, third with [43 wickets].