Shahid Afridi is well known as a catalyst that has the capability to accelerate and accentuate the run rate within a span of few overs. He may not be a very dependable batsman, but his ability to hit quick boundaries is very helpful at times. It is very interesting to note that the player hit the fastest ODI century. (off just 37 balls).
It is a common perception that Shahid Afridi lacks patience in his batting. It has often been observed that he struggles on bouncy pitches. Some of the former Pakistani coaches have believed that Shahid Afridi happens to be a good opener on the sub-continent pitches. The assumption has been proved wrong several times when Afridi is moved into the lower order.
Shahid Afridi has served as an important captain during the course of his international career. He has always played an important role in the reconciliation of the Pakistani cricket team. It is interesting to note that Afridi is the second most successful captain in Twenty20 cricket.
In May 2010, as Afridi announced his return to the Test cricket and was immediately appointed as captain in all three formats of the game. One thing about Afridi that is very intriguing is his active involvement in the matters of the Pakistani selection committee. As a team captain, Afridi always shows concern for not being consulted over the selection issue. Indeed all this shows that Shahid Afridi is a man who does not take quality for granted.
The Test career of Afridi shows that the player is not very enthusiastic about the longest format of the game. In April 2006, Afridi officially declared retirement from test cricket saying he was unable to cope up with the pressure and wanted to concentrate more on ODIs. Later in the same month, he reversed his decision owing to the immense pressure by PCB. Afridi’s lack of temperament has always acted as a hindrance in his progress in this format of the game and could never really be considered a Test player.
Afridi’s batting style is quite aggressive and action-oriented. His ability to clear the rope easily has earned him the nickname “Boom Boom”.
Undoubtedly, Afridi is a very important resource for Pakistan cricket. The player has proved as an important team leader so far and the nation hopes that Afridi continues to perform well in times to come.
