Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (Urdu: شاہد افریدی; Pashto: شاهد افریدی; born 1 March 1980),[6] popularly known as Boom Boom, is a Pakistani cricketer, YouTuber, and former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team.[7] As a successful all-rounder, Afridi was respected for his consistent bowling that relied on change of pace rather than spin, but he drew greater attention for his aggressive batting style.[8][9] Afridi was the world record holder for the fastest ODI century in 37 deliveries[10][11] and holds the distinction of having hit the most sixes in the history of ODI cricket.[12]
Afridi considers himself a better bowler than batsman and has taken 48 Test wickets and over 350 in ODIs. As of January 2020, Afridi is 2nd on the chart of most T20I wickets, with 98 wickets from 99 matches.[13] He also holds a record for most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.[14]
On 19 February 2017, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket.[15][16] 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.[17][18] 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
Afridi was born in 1975[20] in Khyber Agency, Pakistan to an Afridi tribe of Pashtuns.[6][21] Afridi is married to his maternal cousin Nadia Afridi and has four daughters: Aqsa, Ansha, Ajwa and Asmara.[22]
Afridi was drafted to the Pakistan senior national team after fine performances at the under-19 championship circuit starting the 1994–95 season. Playing for the Karachi Whites, he helped his team win the title the following season picking 42 wickets in five matches at an impressive average of 9.59. Later that season, Afridi had played against the visiting England A and West Indies Youth teams and a few first-class games for Karachi Whites in the senior National Championship.[23]
International career
In October 1996, Afridi was drafted into the ODI team during the four-nation Sameer Cup 1996–97 as a leg spinner as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed.[24][25] He made his debut on 2 October against Kenya; however, he didn't bat and went wicketless.[26] In the next match against Sri Lanka, Afridi batted at number three in the role of a pinch-hitter. In his first international innings, Afridi broke the record for fastest century in ODI cricket, reaching his hundred from 37 balls. The eleven sixes he struck also equaled the record for most in an ODI innings.[27][nb 1] Pakistan posted a total of 371, at the time the second-highest in ODIs, and won by 82 runs; Afridi was named man of the match.[27] The record for fastest century in ODI was broken by New Zealand cricketer Corey Anderson on 1 January 2014 who reached triple-figures from 36 balls and is now held by South-African cricketer AB de Villiers who made a century from 31 balls on 18 January 2015 against West Indies.[29]
Afridi with his teammates during the 2009 World Twenty20 in June 2009
Two years after appearing on the international scene, Afridi made his Test debut in the third game of a three-match series against Australia on 22 October 1998.[30] By this point he had already played 66 ODIs, at the time a record before playing Tests.[31] He opened the batting, making scores of 10 and 6, and took five wickets in the first innings.[30] He played his second Test the following January during Pakistan's tour of India; it was the first Test between the two countries since 1990.[32] Again opening the batting, Afridi scored his maiden Test century, scoring 141 runs from 191 balls. In the same match he also claimed three wickets for 54 runs.[33] After winning the first match by 12 runs, Pakistan lost the second to draw the series.[34]
In 2001, Afridi signed a contract to represent Leicestershire. In five first-class matches he scored 295 runs at an average of 42.14, including a highest score of 164,[35] and took 11 wickets at an average of 46.45;[36] Afridi also played 11 one day matches for the club, scoring 481 runs at an average of 40.08[37] and taking 18 wickets at 24.04.[38] His highest score of 95 came from 58 balls in a semi-final of the C&G Trophy to help Leicestershire beat Lancashire by seven wickets.[39] Derbyshire County Cricket Club signed Afridi to play for them in the first two months of the 2003 English cricket season.[40] In June 2004 Afridi signed with English county side Kent to play for them in three Twenty20 matches and one Totesport League match.[41]
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Afridi's Test match batting career up to 30 December 2007, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line)
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 Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan to win the game and register a series draw.[42] In April Afridi struck what at the time was the equal second-fastest century in ODIs; he reached 100 off 45 deliveries against India, sharing the record with West Indian Brian Lara.[43] Afridi was more consistent with his batting and bowling throughout 2005, starting with the tours of India and West Indies and through to the England tour. The Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer helped Afridi to reach a fuller potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting attitude.
On 21 November 2005, Shahid Afridi was banned for a Test match and two ODIs for deliberately damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England. Television cameras pictured him scraping his boots on the pitch scuffing the 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. Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: "This ban should serve as a message to players that this type of behaviour is not allowed."[44][45][46]
On 12 April 2006, Afridi announced a temporary retirement from Test cricket so that he could concentrate on ODIs, with a particular focus on the 2007 World Cup, and to spend more time with his family. He said he would consider reversing his decision after the World Cup. Afridi had played ten Tests since being recalled to the side in January 2005, averaging 47.44 with the bat including four centuries.[47] However, on 27 April he reversed his decision, saying that "[Woolmer] told me that I am one of the main players in the team and squad and that Pakistan really needed me".[48] Before Pakistan toured England in July to September, Afridi played for Ireland as an overseas player in the C&G Trophy.[48] In six matches, he scored 128 runs[49] and took seven wickets.[50] England won the four-match Test series 3–0;[51] Afridi played two matches, scoring 49 runs[52] and took three wickets.[53] It was the last Test cricket Afridi played until 2010.
Afridi considers himself a better bowler than batsman and has taken 48 Test wickets and over 350 in ODIs. As of January 2020, Afridi is 2nd on the chart of most T20I wickets, with 98 wickets from 99 matches.[13] He also holds a record for most player-of-the match awards in Twenty20 International cricket.[14]
On 19 February 2017, Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket.[15][16] 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.[17][18] 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
Afridi was born in 1975[20] in Khyber Agency, Pakistan to an Afridi tribe of Pashtuns.[6][21] Afridi is married to his maternal cousin Nadia Afridi and has four daughters: Aqsa, Ansha, Ajwa and Asmara.[22]
Afridi was drafted to the Pakistan senior national team after fine performances at the under-19 championship circuit starting the 1994–95 season. Playing for the Karachi Whites, he helped his team win the title the following season picking 42 wickets in five matches at an impressive average of 9.59. Later that season, Afridi had played against the visiting England A and West Indies Youth teams and a few first-class games for Karachi Whites in the senior National Championship.[23]
International career
In October 1996, Afridi was drafted into the ODI team during the four-nation Sameer Cup 1996–97 as a leg spinner as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed.[24][25] He made his debut on 2 October against Kenya; however, he didn't bat and went wicketless.[26] In the next match against Sri Lanka, Afridi batted at number three in the role of a pinch-hitter. In his first international innings, Afridi broke the record for fastest century in ODI cricket, reaching his hundred from 37 balls. The eleven sixes he struck also equaled the record for most in an ODI innings.[27][nb 1] Pakistan posted a total of 371, at the time the second-highest in ODIs, and won by 82 runs; Afridi was named man of the match.[27] The record for fastest century in ODI was broken by New Zealand cricketer Corey Anderson on 1 January 2014 who reached triple-figures from 36 balls and is now held by South-African cricketer AB de Villiers who made a century from 31 balls on 18 January 2015 against West Indies.[29]
Afridi with his teammates during the 2009 World Twenty20 in June 2009
Two years after appearing on the international scene, Afridi made his Test debut in the third game of a three-match series against Australia on 22 October 1998.[30] By this point he had already played 66 ODIs, at the time a record before playing Tests.[31] He opened the batting, making scores of 10 and 6, and took five wickets in the first innings.[30] He played his second Test the following January during Pakistan's tour of India; it was the first Test between the two countries since 1990.[32] Again opening the batting, Afridi scored his maiden Test century, scoring 141 runs from 191 balls. In the same match he also claimed three wickets for 54 runs.[33] After winning the first match by 12 runs, Pakistan lost the second to draw the series.[34]
In 2001, Afridi signed a contract to represent Leicestershire. In five first-class matches he scored 295 runs at an average of 42.14, including a highest score of 164,[35] and took 11 wickets at an average of 46.45;[36] Afridi also played 11 one day matches for the club, scoring 481 runs at an average of 40.08[37] and taking 18 wickets at 24.04.[38] His highest score of 95 came from 58 balls in a semi-final of the C&G Trophy to help Leicestershire beat Lancashire by seven wickets.[39] Derbyshire County Cricket Club signed Afridi to play for them in the first two months of the 2003 English cricket season.[40] In June 2004 Afridi signed with English county side Kent to play for them in three Twenty20 matches and one Totesport League match.[41]
An innings-by-innings breakdown of Afridi's Test match batting career up to 30 December 2007, showing runs scored (red bars) and the average of the last ten innings (blue line)
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 Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan to win the game and register a series draw.[42] In April Afridi struck what at the time was the equal second-fastest century in ODIs; he reached 100 off 45 deliveries against India, sharing the record with West Indian Brian Lara.[43] Afridi was more consistent with his batting and bowling throughout 2005, starting with the tours of India and West Indies and through to the England tour. The Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer helped Afridi to reach a fuller potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting attitude.
On 21 November 2005, Shahid Afridi was banned for a Test match and two ODIs for deliberately damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England. Television cameras pictured him scraping his boots on the pitch scuffing the 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. Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: "This ban should serve as a message to players that this type of behaviour is not allowed."[44][45][46]
On 12 April 2006, Afridi announced a temporary retirement from Test cricket so that he could concentrate on ODIs, with a particular focus on the 2007 World Cup, and to spend more time with his family. He said he would consider reversing his decision after the World Cup. Afridi had played ten Tests since being recalled to the side in January 2005, averaging 47.44 with the bat including four centuries.[47] However, on 27 April he reversed his decision, saying that "[Woolmer] told me that I am one of the main players in the team and squad and that Pakistan really needed me".[48] Before Pakistan toured England in July to September, Afridi played for Ireland as an overseas player in the C&G Trophy.[48] In six matches, he scored 128 runs[49] and took seven wickets.[50] England won the four-match Test series 3–0;[51] Afridi played two matches, scoring 49 runs[52] and took three wickets.[53] It was the last Test cricket Afridi played until 2010.
