OTD| Pakistan’s star all-rounder Shahid Afridi was born in 1980

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is celebrating his 44th birthday today. He is an absolute legend of Pakistan cricket and his time on the cricket field gave unparalleled moments of thrill to fans across the globe, particularly in Pakistan. Afridi was someone who could change the complexion of the game anytime with his explosive batting or tricky leg-spin. 

Shahid Afridi made his international debut in 1996 in an ODI match against Kenya at Nairobi. The talent was on display right from the start and Afridi’s impressive performances got him into the Test team as well. The all-rounder played his maiden Test match against Australia in 1998 at Karachi. With the advent of T20 cricket, he got his natural habitat as Afridi was best suited for the fast-paced shortest format of the game. He made his T20I debut in 2006 when he played against England at Bristol. 

Shahid Afridi – Destruction

As a player, Shahid Afridi was all about not giving any breathing space to the opposition in the contest. His destructive batting style would keep the opposition on their toes until he was on the crease. Not just with his batting but he was effective with his bowling as well. 

The former Pakistan skipper represented his country in all three formats of the game. He could not get much success in Test cricket but had a glorious time in the limited-overs format. Afridi played 27 Tests for Pakistan where he scored 1716 runs at an average of 36.51. His bowling tally stood at 48 wickets at an average of 35.60. Whereas in 50 overs cricket, he had a vast experience of playing 398 matches for Pakistan in which he amassed 8064 runs and picked up 395 wickets as well. Undoubtedly the best moment of his career came in 2009 when Pakistan lifted the 2009 T20 World Cup in England. After the 2015 ODI World Cup Shahid Afridi bid farewell to international cricket. 

Also read: Australia all-rounder Sean Abbott was born today in 1992