Shahid Afridi

At 44 years old, Shahid Afridi has this physical status:

Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (born 1975), popularly known as Boom Boom, is a Pakistani cricketer and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team.

As a successful all-rounder, Afridi was respected for his consistent bowling that relied on change of pace rather than spin, but drew greater attention for his aggressive batting style.

Afridi was the world record holder for the fastest ODI century in 37 deliveries and holds the distinction of having hit the most sixes in the history of ODI cricket.Afridi considers himself a better bowler than batsman, and has taken 48 Test wickets and over 350 in ODIs.

Currently Afridi is 2nd on the chart of most T20I wickets with 98 wickets from 99 matches.

He also holds a record for most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.On 19 February 2017, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket.

However, he made a brief return to international cricket after being selected to represent and captain the World XI against West Indies in the 2018 Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge charity match.

Following the conclusion of the match, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket at the Lord's cricket stadium on 31 May 2018.

Early and personal life

In his autobiography, Game Changer (2019), Afridi claimed his year of birth as 1975. But Afridi later clarified that his autobiography's first edition carried the wrong year and it was later confirmed that his date of birth was 1977. It had earlier been reported that he was born in Khyber Agency, Pakistan to an Afridi tribe of Pashtuns in 1980.

He belongs to a family of Sufi pirs (teachers or spiritual masters) and his grandfather Maulana Muhammad Ilyas was a well-known spiritual figure in Bhutan Sharif, a locality in the Tirah Valley. His other grandfather, Sahibzada Abdul Baqi, was given the title Ghazi-e-Kashmir (conqueror of Kashmir) for his efforts during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948.

He is married to his maternal cousin Nadia Afridi and has five daughters. In 2021, Afridi announced his eldest daughter Aqsa's engagement to cricketer Shaheen Afridi.

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Domestic career

After fine success on the under-19 championship circuit from 1994-95, Afridi was drafted to the Pakistani senior national team. He played for the Karachi Whites for the first time in four seasons, taking 42 wickets in five matches at an average of 9.59. Afridi had participated in several first-class games for Karachi Whites earlier this season, along with the visiting England A and West Indies Youth teams and a few first-class games. Afridi began representing Leicestershire in 2001 and has been on staff since. He scored 295 runs in five first-class matches, including a record of 164, and took 11 wickets at an average of 46.45; Afridi also played 11 one-day matches for the club, scoring 481 runs at an average of 40.08 and taking 18 wickets at 24.04. In a semi-final of the C&G Trophy, Leicestershire defeated Lancashire by seven wickets, with his highest score of 95 coming from 58 balls. In the first two months of the 2003 English cricket season, Derbyshire County Cricket Club signed Afridi to play for them.

Afridi was signed by the Deccan Chargers and appeared in the inaugural season of the IPL. In ten matches, he could only muster 81 runs in ten runs and picked up nine wickets in the tournament, but that was disappointing. He did not participate in the 2nd edition of IPL due to the tense atmosphere after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Afridi was both a captain and a legend of Peshawar Zalmi in the 2016 PSL. Afridi was elected president of Peshawar Zalmi after the 1st season. Afridi resigned as Peshawar Zalmi's captain before the 2017 PSL began, and Daren Sammy took over as Peshawar Zalmi captain. Peshawar went on to win the title. Afridi left Peshawar Zalmi after the second season's end. Afridi was voted President of Karachi Kings by the 2018 PSL and was also named President of Karachi Kings. He was also transferred to Karachi as a player ahead of the PSL drafts. After they didn't keep him for the 2019 PSL, Afridi left Karachi. Afridi was chosen by the Multan Sultans in the platinum category of the 2019 PSL draft. Multan Sultans retained Afridi as a mentor during the 2020 PSL draft. He was retained by Multan Sultans again before the 2021 PSL. Afridi appeared in the 2021 PSL for the first time, but he missed the remainder of the tournament due to a back injury. Afridi played for Quetta Gladiators in what he said would be his last PSL season for the 2022 PSL season. Due to back problems, he missed the mid-season.

Afridi signed with Kent, an English county team, in June 2004 to play for them in three Twenty20 matches and one Totesport League match. In the 2009–10 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Afridi appeared for the Southern Redbacks. In 2012, he was part of Ruhuna Royals but after that season, he returned to Pakistan to visit his ailing wife.

Afridi was signed by Northamptonshire Steelbacks in January 2015, where he advanced to the final. In 2016, Rangpur Riders took him on for his fourth edition of Bangladesh's Premier League in 2016.

In the third season of the Caribbean Premier League, Shahid Afridi played for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. He was included in the Jamaica Tallawahs squad for the sixth edition of the Caribbean Premier League, but he was forced to withdraw before the tournament due to a knee injury.

In the first season of Afghanistan's Premier League, Afridi was selected as a hero and captain by the Paktia Panthers. In June 2019, he was chosen to compete for the Brampton Wolves franchise team in the 2019 Global T20 Canada tournament. In the inaugural edition of the Euro T20 Slam cricket tournament, he was selected to play for the Belfast Titans in July 2019. However, the tournament was cancelled the following month. He was included in the A+ category for the sixth edition of the Bangladesh Premier League and was signed by Comilla Victorians. In November 2019, he was selected to play for the Dhaka Platoon in the 2019-20 Bangladesh Premier League. He was drafted by the Galle Gladiators for the inaugural edition of the Lanka Premier League in October 2020.

He was selected by Rawalakot Hawks for the first edition of the Kashmir Premier League in July 2021. He was also confirmed as the KPL's Brand Ambassador. He was initially selected by Muzaffarabad Tigers, but later joined the Muzaffarabad Tigers and led the team to the championship. Afridi was signed by Kathmandu Kings XI on July 26th, 2021, to play in Nepal's Everest Premier League.

Afridi joined Jammu Janbaz as a mentor in the 2022 KPL. Jammu Janbaz placed 5th and was barred from the competition. In June 2022, he joined Mardan Warriors as a mentor for the inaugural season of Pakistan's Junior League.

Afridi was unveiled as the brand ambassador of the newly launched T10 League in UAE in 2017. He was also signed by Team Pakhtoons and was given the captaincy. In 2020, Qalandars announced him as the franchise's most iconic player. He had previously signed a similar contract in 2019, but the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has ruled against suing NOCs to Pakistan players for the tournament.

Afridi was selected as the Qatar Premier T10 Cricket League's brand ambassador (QPL), which was established by the Qatar Cricket Association in 2019.

He was signed by the Bangla Tigers for the 2021–22 T10 League.

The Mega Stars League, Afridi's 2022, was founded in his own T10 league.

International career

Afridi was drafted into the ODI team in October 1996 as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He made his debut against Kenya on October 2nd; however, he didn't bat and went wicketless. Afridi batted at number three in the role of a pinch-hitter in the upcoming match against Sri Lanka. Afridi set the fastest century in ODI cricket in his first international innings, taking his first international innings from 37 wickets. The eleven sixes tied for the most ODI innings in the series. Pakistan posted a total of 371, the second highest in ODIs, and triumphed by 82 runs; Afridi was named man of the match. Corey Anderson, a New Zealand cricketer, scored his century from 36 balls on January 1, 2014.

Afridi made his Test debut in the third game of a three-match series against Australia on October 22, 1998, two years after his international debut. He had already played 66 ODIs, a record before playing Tests. He opened the batting by scoring ten and six and taking five wickets in the first innings. During Pakistan's tour of India in January, he appeared in his second Test; it was the first Test between the two countries since 1990. Afridi scored 141 runs from 191 balls in his maiden Test century. He also took three wickets for 54 runs in the same match. Pakistan lost the second match by 12 runs after winning the first match by 12 runs.

Afridi played his role 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 Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan win the match and establish a series of draws. Afridi achieved 100 off 45 deliveries against India in April, beating West Indian Brian Lara's record of 105. Throughout 2005, Afridi was more consistent in his batting and bowling. Pakistan's coach, Bob Woolmer, aided Afridi in achieving his full potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting style.

Shahid Afridi was banned from a Test match and two ODIs for intentionally damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England on November 21, 2005. When play was suspended after a gas canister exploded, television cameras caught him scraping his boots on the pitch scuffling the surface. Afridi pleaded guilty to a level three of the ICC code of conduct relating to the spirit of the sport. "This ban should give the players that this sort of behavior is not allowed," says match referee Roshan Mahanama.

Afridi announced a temporary exemption from Test cricket so that he could concentrate on ODIs, with a particular focus on the 2007 World Cup, and more time with his family. After the World Cup, he said he would consider reversing his decision. Since being recalled to the side in January 2005, Afridi had played ten Tests, averaging 47.44 with the bat including four centuries. However, on April 27, he reversed his decision, saying, "Woolmer] told me that I am one of the key players in the team and squad, and that Pakistan really needs me." Afridi played for Ireland as an overseas participant in the C&G Trophy from July to September for Pakistan. He scored 128 runs and took seven wickets in six matches. England defeated the four-match Test series 3–0; Afridi played two matches, scoring 49 runs and taking three wickets; Afridi took two wickets. It was the last Test cricket Afridi had played until 2010.

Afridi was charged with bring the game into disrepute on February 8, 2007, after being barred from playing his bat at a spectator who screamed at him on his way up the steps. Afridi received a four-game suspension, the minimum penalty for such an offence, indicating that he would miss Pakistan's first two 2007 World Cup matches. Despite the fact that the punishment was excessively harsh, the PCB and Afridi decided not to appeal the ban.

He didn't do well in terms of batting, but ended the tournament as the joint-second best wicket taker, receiving the Man of the Series award. He failed to take a wicket in the final and was left out for a golden duck. He also became the first individual to be named Player of the Tournament in T20 World Cup history. However, Afridi did well in the semi-finals and 54 in the final, which culminated in Pakistan winning the World Cup.

Younis Khan, Pakistan's captain, announced his retirement from Twenty20 cricket shortly after Pakistan won the 2009 ICC World Twenty2020 championships. Shahid Afridi had taken over as captain in T20Is, according to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB); the change was initially intended for one match, with a decision on a permanent replacement to be made later. ESPNCricinfo named his ODI Bowling Results of 2009, his 6–38 against Australia in 2010. Afridi was caught biting into the ball towards the end of the 5th Commonwealth Bank ODI series in Australia on January 31, 2010. Later, Afridi pleaded guilty to ball tampering and was barred from competing in two Twenty20 internationals.

Shahid Afridi had been named ODI captain in place of the fired Mohammad Yousuf in March 2010. He was captain of Pakistan in the 2010 Asia Cup, and after scoring two centuries against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, he finished as the tournament's top runcorer with 265 runs from three matches.

Since he announced his return to Test cricket on May 25, Afridi was named captain of the national team in both directions. In the first Test of the series against Australia at Lord's in July 2010, Afridi captained Pakistan. In the first innings and two in the second, he scored 31 out of 15 deliveries, but in both innings he was banned from suffering from rash strokes. He announced his retirement from Test cricket a second time after the match, citing a lack of temperament for Test cricket as the reason. On the England tour, Afridi had been officially barred from the Test squad, but after the spot-fixing controversy saw Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Amir, and Test captain Salman Butt briefly suspended by the International Cricket Council, he said he might return to Test cricket if "the team needs it." He had raised questions about Mazhar Majeed, a player who had met Pakistan's players in June, according to a Afridi representative. Majeed also stated that he approached Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Younis Khan, and Saeed Ajmal, but that none of them consented to being concerned with his foregoing terror. The ICC hasn't taken no disciplinary action against them.

In a talk with Express News in October, Afridi said that the team for the series against South Africa had been chosen without his involvement; the PCB gave him a warning before the interview. Waqar Younis expressed disappointment at his lack of participation in the process; however, Mohsin Khan, the chief selector, defended the decision, saying, "it is not written down in the PCB constitution that the coach and captain(s) have a vote in the selection of any squad." Pakistan lost the series 3–2.

Between December 2010 and February 2011, the team toured New Zealand for two Tests, six ODIs, and three T20Is. Pakistan lost the first two T20Is but won the third; in the final match, Afridi became the first cricketer to reach 50 international wickets in the format. He was also the first cricketer to complete the double of 500 runs and 50 wickets in the T20 Internationals in the same match. No captain was named when Pakistan's squad for the 2011 World Cup was revealed; Afridi, the veteran ODI captain, and Misbah-ul-Haq, the Test captain, were the front runners. Pakistan lost the first match against New Zealand by 8 wicketts, the second match was rainy, and Afridi scored a stunning 65 from just 25 balls. The following match was close, but Pakistan defeated Sohail Tanvir by three wickets thanks to three boundaries, but not far from Misbah-ul-Haq. Pakistan defeated Pakistan by 43 runs, thanks to Ahmed Shehzad's maiden ODI-century. Afridi led Pakistan to a 43-run victory and their first ODI series victory in two years by scoring 24 runs and taking two crucial top order wickets.

The PCB named Shahid Afridi as Pakistan's captain after gaining recognition as a captain against New Zealand in the 2011 World Cup. Afridi took 5 wickets against Kenya in Pakistan's first match of the tournament, giving him the highest bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler in a World Cup. Afridi claimed four more wickets to help his team win and became the second player to have scored 4,000 runs and taken 300 wickets in ODI cricket in the following match against Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won. Pakistan finished first in the first round of the tournament, with 17 wickets from six matches, including a five-wicket haul against Canada, as Pakistan finished at the top of their group and advanced to the next stage. Pakistan were knocked out of the semi-finals after defeating the West Indies in the quarter-finals, with Afridi taking four wickets. Even though Afridi had played one match less than him, he was the tournament's joint-leading wicket taker with 21 wickets, on par with India's Zaheer Khan.

Soon after the World Cup Pakistan toured the West Indies for a T20I, five ODIs, and two Tests, two Tests were performed. Pakistan lost the only T20I, but won the ODI series that followed 3–2. In the series, Afridi took two wickets and scored 28 runs. In his book on Afridi, Waqar Younis criticized Afridi, said, "as a captain, he is very immature, has bad discipline, lacks a gameplan, and is reluctant to listen to others' opinions or recommendations." The PCB recalled Afridi as the ODI captain with Misbah-ul-Haq after the series ended on May 19th. Afridi led his team to 18 victories and 15 losses in 34 ODIs as captain. Afridi was later pulled from the touring team, citing his father's illness.

In a retaliation of international cricket, Afridi announced his suspension from international cricket on May 30th in a show of resistance against the PCB's treatment. The board had been replaced at the time of his return, so it was necessary that the board be repaired. The PCB suspended Afridi's central contract, fined him 4.5 million rupees ($52,300), and revoked his no-objection certificate (NOC), which permitted Afridi to play for Hampshire. Afridi had filed a petition with the Sindh High Court seeking to reverse the sanctions. Afridi resigned from court restitution on June 15, but the PCB reinstated his NOC after an out-of-court deal was reached. Afridi's central contracts were allowed to lapse when the PCB's central contracts were renewed in August. In October, he resigned as chairman of the PCB after Ijaz Butt had been promoted as Ijaz Butt. Afridi was included in Pakistan's squad against Sri Lanka in three ODIs and a T20I, two weeks after his announcement. Afridi made history by becoming the first cricketer to score a half-century and take five wickets on two separate occasions in ODI cricket in November 2011. Afridi made this heroic debut against Sri Lanka in their fourth ODI, which helped Pakistan to save the one-day series. He was also the first person to play 50 T20Is.

Afridi scored 76(55) during his first ODI game against the West Indies in Guyana in 2013, before achieving figures of 7/12, the second best ODI bowling figures ever. He appeared on the Rest of the World side in the Bicentennial Celebrations at Lord's in July 2014.

After the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Afridi announced his retirement from ODI cricket. Pakistan lost in the quarter finals to Australia and was barred from the tournament altogether.

Pakistan was unable to make it to the semi-finals of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 after losing to New Zealand, India, and Australia in March 2016. The PCB speculated at Afridi's retirement ahead of Australia's match. However, he rebuffled their call after the match and revealed that he would make the call himself after consulting family and other key players beforehand and then announcing it in Pakistan. I am also healthy as a player.' I am not fit for duty as a captain.' In this confession, former Australian player Ian Chappell lauded his honesty.

Waqar Younis, the head coach, was initially blamed and accepted responsibility but then announced to step down. However, Younis' six-page paper was later leaked by the PCB to the public, where he was shown to be pointing a large portion of the blame at Afridi. After giving 38-runs in 3 overs, Younis claimed that Afridi had been 'unfair' to new cricketer Mohammad Nawaz by calling him up to bowl in the Asia Cup 2016. Younis continued to accuse Afridi of being "non-serious" in the game, as well as reporting that he skipped training sessions and meetings. Afridi's results with the bat, ball, and as a captain, according to him, were clearly not paid attention by other players. Younis expressed your displeasure with the leak being leaked because fans chastised him for shifting blame to Afridi rather than accepting equal responsibility. In the three matches, manager Intikhab Alam called Afridi 'clueless,' but Younis said he was unable to ensure that the players were physically fit.

Afridi was asked to appear on the inquiry committee, which included Misbah-ul-Haq and other key names, so he would hear his report about the case. However, it was reported that he refused to leave until it was revealed that his daughter was in hospital undergoing surgery at the time. He preferred to be interviewed by phone rather than by mail.

Afridi posted a video on Twitter days after the match in which he apologized to all his followers for the team's poor results. He said he didn't care about what others were saying about him, but instead wanted to listen to his followers and apologize for allowing them and Pakistan to be down. Despite earlier skepticism, a number of followers supported him. During his transfer from Dubai back to Pakistan, a few days after the majority of the crew, fans chanted 'Boom Boom Afridi' at the airport amid high security.

He did reveal that he was resigning as T20I captain in April 2016, but he was not resigning. He said he wanted to "continue to play the game for my country." Following Afridi's resignation, Sarfraz Ahmed was appointed Pakistan's T20I captain.

The PCB reported in September 2016 that they wanted Afridi to leave. Afridi said it was unfair for them to reveal their plans in the media, but later announced that he wanted a farewell match, but that didn't happen as a result of him canceling a meeting with the PCB. He announced his retirement from T20Is and international cricket in February 2017. After being named in the Rest of the World XI squad for the Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge in April 2018, Afridi briefly returned to international cricket in April 2018. After Eoin Morgan had to leave due to injury, he went on to captain the team. Afridi said after the match that he would not be returning to international cricket for Pakistan.

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