This Clearly Shows Shahid Afridi Has Crossed Every Limit Against India
In a viral video on the internet, Waqar Younis talked about how Shahid Afridi shook hands with an Indian minister. With his handshake being aggressive, the Indian minister was left in pain by Afridi. Remembering this incident, the former Pakistani players were left laughing.
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Surely go along if a franchise offers me to play in PSL 8, remarks Shahid Afridi
International career
Shahid Afridi's international career spanned nearly two decades, during which he became one of the most iconic figures in cricket. Known for his explosive batting, Afridi played across all formats, leaving a lasting impact with his thrilling performances.
Early Years
- 1996: Afridi was drafted into the ODI team in October 1996 as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. His debut came on 2 October against Kenya, where he did not bat and went wicketless.
- 1996–1997: In the next match against Sri Lanka, Afridi made a spectacular entry, breaking the record for the fastest ODI century at the time, reaching 100 runs in just 37 balls. His eleven sixes equaled the record for most in an ODI innings.
- 1998: After two years in ODIs, Afridi made his Test debut against Australia in October 1998. Opening the batting, he scored 10 and 6 in his first innings, but made an impression by taking five wickets in the first innings. His maiden Test century came against India in January 1999, where he scored 141 runs.
Rise in Significance
- 2005: Afridi’s all-round abilities started gaining attention, especially after his performance against India. He scored a rapid-fire 50 and took five wickets in a Test match to help Pakistan draw the series. Later that year, he equaled the record for the second-fastest century in ODIs, scoring 100 off just 45 balls.
- 2006: After a suspension for damaging the pitch during a Test series against England, Afridi announced a temporary retirement from Test cricket to focus on ODIs, particularly for the 2007 World Cup. However, he reversed this decision after being encouraged by his coach, Bob Woolmer.
- 2007: Afridi faced a suspension after an altercation with a spectator and was banned for four ODIs. Nevertheless, he bounced back in the 2007 World Twenty20, where his bowling earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
Captaincy (2009–2011)
- 2009: After Pakistan won the ICC World Twenty20, Afridi was appointed captain of the T20 team. His spell of 6-38 against Australia was voted the Best ODI Bowling Performance of 2009.
- 2010: Afridi became Pakistan's captain in all formats after Mohammad Yousuf was sacked. His leadership included a successful 2010 Asia Cup, where he scored two centuries, finishing as the highest run-scorer with 265 runs from 3 matches. However, controversy surrounded Afridi after his comments regarding the selection of the squad against South Africa led to an official warning from the PCB.
- 2011 World Cup: Afridi led Pakistan to the semi-finals, where he played a crucial role in the team's success, including a brilliant 5-wicket haul against Kenya. His 21 wickets in the tournament made him the joint-leading wicket-taker. However, Pakistan was eliminated in the semi-finals by India.
Conditional Retirement and Return (2011–2015)
- 2011: After a falling out with the PCB, Afridi announced his conditional retirement, demanding a change in the board's leadership. His retirement was reversed later in the year, and he returned to international cricket for the series against Sri Lanka.
- 2013: Afridi made history with his 7-wicket haul against the West Indies, the second-best ODI bowling figures ever. This performance solidified his legacy as one of the game's great all-rounders.
- 2015: After Pakistan's exit from the 2015 Cricket World Cup, Afridi announced his retirement from ODIs. This marked the end of his illustrious career in the format.
2016 ICC World Twenty20
- March 2016: Afridi was part of the Pakistani squad for the 2016 ICC World Twenty20. His team failed to reach the semi-finals, and amidst speculation about his retirement, Afridi publicly discussed his future and his fitness. He ultimately announced that he would step down as T20I captain but would continue playing for Pakistan.
Retirement
- September 2016: Afridi was urged to retire by the PCB, which led to a public dispute. He wanted a farewell match, but due to tensions with the board, this didn't materialize.
- February 2017: Afridi officially announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to his two-decade-long career. However, in April 2018, Afridi returned for a charity match in the Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge, leading the Rest of the World XI before confirming his final retirement.
Afridi's legacy is marked not only by his unique ability to turn matches around with his batting but also his contributions as a leader and bowler. His charismatic and at times controversial career has earned him a special place in the hearts of cricket fans around the world.
Leagues Participation
Shahid Afridi has been a key player in several major cricket leagues over the years. His journey includes stints in various franchises, where he played important roles and made significant contributions.
Indian Premier League
Afridi joined Deccan Chargers in the first IPL season in 2008. He played 10 matches, scored 81 runs, and took 9 wickets. He did not participate in the 2009 season due to security concerns after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
|
Year
|
Team
|
Role
|
Runs
|
Wickets
|
Comments
|
|
2008
|
Deccan Chargers
|
Player
|
81
|
9
|
Played in the first season
|
|
2009-2010
|
Not Participating
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Did not play due to security concerns
|
Pakistan Super League
Afridi was part of Peshawar Zalmi in 2016 as captain and icon player. After the season, he became the president of the team. He gave up the captain role in 2017 to Daren Sammy, who led Peshawar to the title. Afridi left Peshawar after the second season. He joined Karachi Kings in 2018 and also became the president of the team. Afridi played for Karachi, but they did not keep him for the 2019 season. He was then picked by Multan Sultans in the draft. In 2021, Afridi played for Multan but missed the rest of the season due to an injury. In 2022, he joined Quetta Gladiators for his final PSL season, but he withdrew mid-season because of a back injury.
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Year
|
Team
|
Role
|
Comments
|
|
2016
|
Peshawar Zalmi
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Captain/Icon Player
|
Played as captain and icon player
|
|
2017
|
Peshawar Zalmi
|
-
|
Gave up captain role, Peshawar won the title
|
|
2018
|
Karachi Kings
|
Player/President
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Joined as player and president
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|
2019
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Multan Sultans
|
Player
|
Picked by Multan Sultans
|
|
2020
|
Multan Sultans
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Mentor
|
Stayed as mentor
|
|
2021
|
Multan Sultans
|
Player
|
Played part of the season, injured later
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|
2022
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Quetta Gladiators
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Player
|
Last season, withdrew mid-way due to injury
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Domestic career
Shahid Afridi started his domestic career after strong performances in under-19 cricket, which led to his selection for the Pakistan senior team in the 1994-95 season. He played for Karachi Whites, helping them win the title the next season by taking 42 wickets in five matches, with an average of 9.59. He also played in first-class matches for Karachi Whites and against England A and the West Indies Youth teams.
In 2001, Afridi joined Leicestershire for a contract. He played five first-class matches, scoring 295 runs with an average of 42.14, including a top score of 164. He also took 11 wickets in these matches. Afridi played 11 one-day matches for Leicestershire, scoring 481 runs at an average of 40.08 and taking 18 wickets. One of his best moments came in a semi-final of the C&G Trophy, where he hit 95 off 58 balls to help Leicestershire defeat Lancashire by seven wickets. In 2003, he also played for Derbyshire County Cricket Club during the first two months of the English season.
Other Leagues
Shahid Afridi played in several leagues around the world during his career.
- In June 2004, he joined Kent to play three Twenty20 matches and one Totesport League match. He was also part of Southern Redbacks in the 2009–10 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. In 2012, Afridi played for Ruhuna Royals in the Sri Lanka Premier League, but he had to leave early to be with his sick wife.
- In 2015, he signed with Northamptonshire Steelbacks for the T20 Blast, helping the team reach the final. In 2016, Afridi played for Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League.
- Afridi joined St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the third season of the Caribbean Premier League. He also joined Jamaica Tallawahs in 2017, but he withdrew due to a knee injury. In 2018, Afridi became the captain and icon player for Paktia Panthers in the Afghanistan Premier League.
- In 2019, Afridi played for the Brampton Wolves in the Global T20 Canada and the Belfast Titans in the Euro T20 Slam, although the tournament was canceled. He also joined the Bangladesh Premier League again, playing for Comilla Victorians and Dhaka Platoon. In October 2020, he signed with Galle Gladiators for the inaugural Lanka Premier League.
- In 2021, Afridi played for Rawalakot Hawks in the Kashmir Premier League and helped them win the title. He was also the league's brand ambassador. Later in the year, Afridi joined Kathmandu Kings XI in the Everest Premier League.
- For the 2022 Kashmir Premier League, Afridi mentored Jammu Janbaz, but the team was eliminated early. He also mentored Mardan Warriors in the Pakistan Junior League.
- Afridi was involved with the T10 League in the UAE. He became the brand ambassador in 2017 and captained Team Pakhtoons. He later joined Qalandars in 2020. Afridi was also the brand ambassador for the Qatar Premier T10 Cricket League in 2019. He played for Bangla Tigers in the 2021 T10 League and started his own league, the Mega Stars League, in 2022.
Records and achievements
Shahid Afridi has set many records throughout his cricket career. Here are some of his most notable achievements:
- Second Fastest Century in ODIs: Afridi scored 100 runs in 37 balls, the second fastest century in ODI history.
- Second Fastest 50 in ODIs: He hit 50 runs off just 18 balls three times against Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and Bangladesh.
- 50 Runs and 7 Wickets in One Match: Afridi is the only player to score 76 runs and take 7 wickets in a single match.
- Second Most Ducks in ODIs: Afridi has been dismissed for a duck 29 times, the second highest in ODI history. He also holds the most ducks in T20 World Cups.
- Most Sixes in ODIs: He hit 351 sixes in ODIs, the most by any player in this format.
- Most Wickets in T20Is: Afridi holds the record for the most wickets (97) in T20 internationals. He has also won the Player of the Match award the most times in T20Is.
- Man of the Series (2004-2005 ODI Series): Afridi won the Man of the Series award in the ODI series against the West Indies.
- Man of the Match (1998 ODI vs India): Afridi was named Man of the Match in the ODI against India in Toronto.
- Man of the Match (2009 ODI vs New Zealand): He was also named Man of the Match in the ODI against New Zealand in 2009.
- Man of the Series (2007 T20 World Cup): Afridi won Man of the Series in the 2007 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan reached the final.
- Man of the Series (2009 T20 World Cup): Afridi was awarded Man of the Series at the 2009 T20 World Cup, where Pakistan won the tournament.
Personal life
Shahid Afridi was born in 1977 in Khyber Agency, Pakistan, into the Afridi tribe of Pashtuns. His family has a strong spiritual background, with his grandfather being a famous Sufi teacher. Afridi has six brothers, including cricketers Tariq and Ashfaq Afridi, and five sisters. He is married to his cousin, Nadia Afridi, and they have five daughters. In 2021, Afridi announced that his daughter, Ansha, got engaged to cricketer Shaheen Afridi. On February 3, 2023, Ansha married Shaheen in a nikah ceremony.
Finance
Shahid Afridi is one of the richest cricketers in Pakistan, with an estimated net worth of 7.3 billion PKR. He earned money through his long cricket career, brand deals, businesses, and the foundations he set up.
Cars and House
Afridi owns several expensive cars, including a Range Rover, Bentley, BMW X5, and Porsche Panamera. He also has motorcycles like a Suzuki Hayabusa and a Harley Davidson V-Rod. His home is in the Defence Phase 8 area of Karachi, Pakistan. In 2019, Afridi showed his fans his house, which looks like a five-star hotel with all modern amenities. His house includes a sports area with a table tennis table, a snooker table in the basement, a swimming pool, and a garden with a 22-meter-long soccer field where his kids play.
Scandals
Afridi has been part of a few controversies:
- 2016: Afridi said in an interview that there was no talent in Pakistan, which caused a lot of criticism. The PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) gave him a warning. Later, Afridi explained that he meant there was no competition among players.
- 2018: Afridi was caught on camera chewing tobacco at an event. However, he denied it and said he was chewing fennel seeds and clove.
- 2019: Afridi was sued by Master Beverages for breaking a contract. He secretly signed with another company, which went against the agreement. They sued Afridi for Rs. 60,000,000 and the return of a car.
- 2019: Afridi said he had banned his daughters from playing outdoor sports because he is a "conservative" father. His comments sparked public debate about his views on feminism.
Afridi created confusion about his birth year. He claimed in his autobiography "Game Changer" that he was born in 1975, but the official records said 1977. He later explained that his book's first edition had the wrong year, and his real birth year is 1977. His mistake led to questions about the record for the youngest centurion in ODI cricket.
Afridi has had several public arguments with Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir. One major argument happened in 2007 during an ODI match between India and Pakistan. Both players argued, and they were fined for their actions. Afridi and Gambhir later exchanged harsh words on Twitter about political issues, including Kashmir.
Fans
Afridi has many fans, both in Pakistan and abroad. In November 2022, he posted a video of meeting fans in Thailand at a restaurant. In March 2023, during the Legends League Cricket tournament, Afridi signed an Indian flag for a security officer. The video of this moment went viral on social media. Afridi has more than 5 million followers on Instagram.
