15 Facts about Shahid Afridi - The Smiling Executioner

If someone was to reckon that there would be another like Shahid Afridi, he would become an immediate outcast. While controversies and immature spats have been a problem, Afridi has always managed to win his fans back with a smile and a whack across the ropes. Afridi comes from a long tradition of powerful and genuine sloggers of the cricket ball. Sir Viv Richards perhaps is a good example. Class and patience do not find themselves in the Shahid Afridi dictionary. With his permanent retirement in the offing, here are a few interesting facts about Shahid Afridi on his birthday.

1. Birth:

Shahid Afridi was born on the 1^st of Match 1980 in Khyber Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan. He belongs to the legendary Afridi tribe of the Pashtuns.

2. Nickname:

Afridi is known by one and all as ‘Boom Boom’. He has taken his nickname so seriously that these words can be seen inscribed on his bat. He is referred to as ‘Lala’ by his close friends and teammates.

3. A better bowler:

Having modeled himself on famous leg-spinner, Abdul Qadir, Shahid Afridi considers himself to be a better batsman than bowler. He has taken 48 wickets in Test matches and 92 wickets in ODIs. He is considered a wily leg spinner and has been compared to the likes of Shane Warne and Anil Kumble.

4. The retirement king:

Shahid Afridi became famous for repeatedly announcing his retirement. He announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2006 to focus on his limited overs career. This move prompted the likes of Andrew Flintoff to follow suit. Afridi then rescinded his retirement when he made a comeback to the Test team in 2010. However, a string of low scores and terrible bowling saw him call time on his Test career once more. Afridi again announced that he was under pressure from his family to call time with the World T20 2016 looming over the horizon.

5. The theory of big-hitting:

Shahid Afridi came through a cricketing era where a ‘pinch-hitter’ was used to add an impulsive increase to the scoring rate. Although he is much more established, Afridi has little control over his urge to swing at the cricket ball each time it makes its way towards him. The drawback of this approach is that consistency is an impossible task. His strike rate in 350 ODIs is a mammoth 117.

6. The roof of the Wanderers:

Afridi made history on March 17, 2013. Apart from making 88 off 43 balls, Afridi smashed the longest six in cricket history. A vicious swing of the bat from a length ball off Ryan McLaren saw the ball travel 158 meters and onto the roof the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg.

7. The love for Indian bowling:

It is no secret that Afridi loves Indian bowling. While he boasts of massive records, two records in particular, stand out against the arch rivals. In 2005, Afridi smashed Harbhajan Singh for 27 runs in an over at Lahore. This made him the second highest runs in an over in Tests. He also became the fourth youngest Pakistani player to score a Test century. At 18 years 333 days, Afridi smashed 141 against India at Chennai, making him the youngest ever centurion against India.

8. A multi-talented leg spinner:

Although a leg-break spinner, Afridi is known to have multiple variations that help him pick wickets on a consistent basis. He has two googlies, a conventional off-spinner, and a faster delivery. The faster delivery or the flipper is said to be clocked at 130kmph, faster than a few medium pacers. Thus, his variations include speed as well as turn. He also bowls a bouncer, an unusual delivery for a spinner.

9. Main Hoon Shahid Afridi:

Shahid Afridi made a cameo appearance in the movie ‘Mein Hoon Shahid Afridi’, a Pakistani sports drama film.

10. Most Stylish sports person:

Afridi has been named as the most stylish sports person of the year in 2007 and 2011 by Lux. He was felicitated on both occasions at the Lux Style awards.

11. Five wickets on debut:

Shahid Afridi made his Test debut against Australia at Karachi in 1998. He joined the likes of Narendra Hirwani and Bob Massie by picking up a 5 wicket haul on Test debut.

12. There will never be another:

As fittingly put by Osman Samiuddin, “Of Shahid Afridi it can safely be said that cricket never has and never will see another like him. To say he is an allrounder is to say Albert Einstein was a scientist; it tells a criminally bare story.”

13. A genuine impact player:

Afridi is generally regarded as an impact player. His knock of 124 off just 60 balls against Bangladesh at the Ranagiri Stadium in Dambulla ensured that Pakistan clinched their 5th Asia Cup title. He had smashed 109 in the previous match as well against Sri Lanka. He played a similar knock against Sri Lanka in the 2009 World T20 final to help Pakistan win their first ICC trophy since 1992.

14. Shahid Afridi Foundation:

In March 2014, Shahid Afridi established his foundation “Shahid Afridi Foundation” which aims to provide healthcare and education facilities in Pakistan. He was also named among world’s most charitable athletes by Do Something in August 2015.

15. A spicy set of taste buds:

Shahid Afridi is known to be a huge fan of spicy food. In an interview during the inaugural season of the IPL, Afridi stated that Hyderabadi Biryani is his favorite dish.