PROFILE

Shahid Afridi is the maddest of crazy maxes. A colorful all-rounder introduced to international cricket as a 16-year-old leg spinner, he surprised everyone but himself by pinch-hitting the fastest one-day hundred in his maiden innings. Afridi is a obsessive shot-maker and although until 2004 it was too often his downfall, causing him to drift in and out of the team, a combination of maturity on and off the field and a sympathetic coach in Bob Woolmer, saw Afridi blossom into one of modern-day cricket's most dangerous players and a essential cog in Pakistan's revival in 2005. A thread of sharp contributions from June 2004 culminated in a aggressive century against India in Kanpur in April 2005.Shahid Afridi is one of the greatest entertainers in world cricket. ‘Boom Boom Afridi’, as he is extensively known, follows a simple theory of either to hit out or get out, which makes him a crowd favorite.

His all-round skills are completed by agile fielding and among the strongest arms in the game, he also possesses the firmest handshake in international cricket. Again he shocked everyone but himself when, after finally becoming a fixture in the Pakistan side, and a thrillingly bombastic one at that. He is capable of hitting almost any ball out of the park and is dangerous when in full flow. His carefree attitude has cost him a regular place in the side over the years. The all-rounder is also an excellent leg-spinner. Afridi was adjudged the Player of the Tournament at the World Twenty20 in 2007. He had another memorable edition in England. The all-rounder was awarded the man of the match in both, semi-final and final match of the 2009 event. He was later made the captain of the T20 side as regular skipper Younus Khan decided to retire from the shortest format of the game after guiding Pakistan to victory.