Jan 22, 2006 09:08 PM
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(Updated Jan 22, 2006 09:13 PM)
SHAHID AFRIDI
My favorite cricketer of all time is Shahid Afridi. My batting and bowling resembles him. And when ever I play a match I remember him and play his style. All of you might have known that Afridi is a big smasher of the cricket ball. He is a very aggressive batsmen and all the bowlers get frightened when he arrives at the crease. Really he is a ENTERTAININGSHER. He loves to entertain the people by smashing the ball outside the ground. He is strongly built and is handsome that all the Pakistani fans including me love him. He is also very religious. I had met him quite time ago and had got a photograph and autograph with him. So now I am going to leak out all the information I know about him.
Shahid Afridi was born on March 1, 1980 in Khyber Agency to Pashtun parents of the Afridi tribe. His real name is Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi. He has represented Pakistan since 1996 in international cricket. He made his ODI debut on October 2, 1996 against Kenya at Nairobi and his Test debut on October 22, 1998 against Australia at Karachi. His strike rate is also great. He has scored over 4,500 ODI runs at a strike rate of more than 107 runs per 100 balls, and has taken over 160 ODI wickets. He made his debut at the age of sixteenth.
He was brought into the team as a legspinner at the age of sixteen as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He then gained fame as a pinch-hitter and began opening with Saeed Anwar. He holds the record for scoring the fastest century (which he scored off 37 balls) in One Day Internationals. He also shares the record for the second fastest century (off 45 balls) in One Day Internationals with Brian Lara. One of Pakistan's most useful all rounders, his extremely aggressive batting style has ensured that he has a strike rate higher than most batsman in the world though his average of around 25 underlines the inconsistency in his batting.
A propensity for the unexpected, and a reputation for lacking patience while batting has meant that he has never been able to command a regular place in the Pakistan side - ''There are more brains in a chocolate mouse'' , Geoff Boycott once said in respect of Afridi's approach! However, in the two games between Pakistan and India, contested in 2005, that he participated in, Afridi made his presence felt, almost recording the fastest Test half-century, and dismissing Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar three times, in helping Pakistan register an unlikely draw.
He currently has the best strike rate in ODIs, and also the record for most number of 6s in ODIs (208) and most 6s in an innings (11). But nowadays his presence in the team is more for his useful bowling than his batting: his spin bowling includes the off break, leg-break and the quicker one which he can throw at nearly 80 mph hence his ability to remove the tail of the batting side. His batting is suspect in bouncy pitches and against opponents like Australia but remains a good opener in sub-continent pitches where he stars and is a thorough entertainer.
On 21 November 2005, Shahid Afridi was banned for a Test match and two one-day internationals for damaging the pitch in the second match of the three-Test series against England. TV cameras pictured him scraping his boots on the pitch surface when play was held up after a gas canister exploded. Afridi later pleaded guilty to a level three breach of the ICC code of conduct relating to the spirit of the game. Inquiries were made and Afridi's antics came into view. He was inquired and banned with commendable speed, along with receiving a huge amount of harsh criticism. Match referee Roshan Mahanama said: ''This ban should serve as a message to players that this type of behaviour is not allowed.'' His behaviour was also condemned by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
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GivinG YoU UtmosT JoY...........!
E x T e N d I n G…… L I M I T s....................!!!!!
<<<ShabaZ!!!!!!>>>
