Shahid Afridi is a former cricketer from Pakistan who is widely considered to be one of the best all-rounders in the sport's history. He was brought into the world on Walk 1, 1980, in Khyber Organization, Pakistan, and made his global presentation for Pakistan in 1996 at the period of only 16.
Afridi was primarily known for his explosive batting style, which saw him hit the ball with incredible power and frequency. He also had a useful leg-spin bowling action, which earned him many wickets in both Test and limited-overs cricket.
01: Early career (1996-2001):
Afridi made his international debut for Pakistan in a One Day International (ODI) match against Kenya in Nairobi on October 2, 1996. He made an instant impact in his first match by scoring a blistering 37-ball 45, which included five fours and two sixes.
Afridi's explosive batting and useful leg-spin bowling quickly established him as a key member of the Pakistani team. He became famous for his aggressive batting style and was soon dubbed the "Boom Boom" Afridi by cricket fans.
In 1997, Afridi played his first Test match against Australia in Karachi. Although he failed to make a significant impact in his debut match, he showed glimpses of his talent by scoring a quick-fire 10-ball 12 in the second innings.
Afridi's career reached new heights in 1998 when he smashed the then-fastest ODI century off just 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi. He ended the innings with a score of 102 off just 40 balls, which included 11 sixes and six fours.
02: Rise to prominence (2002-2006):
Afridi's career hit a low point in 2001 when he was banned from international cricket for one year after testing positive for a banned substance. However, he made a successful comeback in 2002 and was soon back to his best form.
In 2005, Afridi became the first player to score 1,000 runs and take 50 wickets in T20 cricket. He achieved this feat in just 51 matches, which remains a record to this day.
Afridi was also a key member of the Pakistani team that won the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament in England. He scored 50 runs in the final against Sri Lanka and was named the player of the match.
03: Late career (2007-2018):
Afridi continued to play international cricket for Pakistan until his retirement in 2018. During this period, he became the leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals and also scored over 8,000 runs across all formats.
Afridi was also known for his captaincy skills and led the Pakistani team in various international tournaments. He was named the captain of the team for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, but Pakistan failed to progress beyond the semi-finals.
In 2015, Afridi announced his retirement from Test cricket to focus on limited-overs formats. He continued to play for the Pakistani team in T20Is and ODIs and was a key member of the squad that reached the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.
Overall, Shahid Afridi is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of cricket. His explosive batting style and useful leg-spin bowling made him a fan favorite around the world, and his contributions to Pakistani cricket will always be remembered.
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