Shaheen Shah Afridi has lit up cricketing consciousness as a fiery torchbearer of Pakistan’s rich fast bowling lineage. Born on April 6, 2000 in the rugged northwest, Afridi’s origins trace back to the sports-mad Pashtun Zakhakhel Afridi tribe. His journey from tennis ball cricket prodigy there to international stardom has mirrored the single-minded passion, perseverance and meteoric rise that often define sporting geniuses. Already spearheading attacks across formats by 22, Afridi’s story remains as much about the colors he proudly dons as the unflinching resolve scripting success.
Batting Career Stats
| Format | M | Inn | NO | Runs | HS | Avg | BF | SR | 100 | 200 | 50 | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 27 | 33 | 8 | 154 | 19 | 6.16 | 396 | 38.89 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| ODI | 53 | 29 | 17 | 196 | 25 | 16.33 | 239 | 82.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 7 |
| T20I | 52 | 10 | 4 | 48 | 16 | 8.0 | 40 | 120.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
Bowling Career Stats
| Format | M | Inn | B | Runs | Wkts | BBI | BBM | Econ | Avg | SR | 5W | 10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 27 | 46 | 5218 | 2686 | 105 | 6/51 | 10/94 | 3.09 | 25.58 | 49.7 | 4 | 1 |
| ODI | 53 | 52 | 2695 | 2490 | 104 | 6/35 | 6/35 | 5.54 | 23.94 | 25.91 | 3 | 0 |
| T20I | 52 | 52 | 1143 | 1455 | 64 | 4/22 | 4/22 | 7.64 | 22.73 | 17.86 | 0 | 0 |
Career Information
Test debut vs New Zealand at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Dec 03, 2018
Last Test vs Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club, Jul 24, 2023
ODI debut vs Afghanistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Sep 21, 2018
Last ODI vs England at Eden Gardens, Nov 11, 2023
T20 debut vs West Indies at National Stadium, Apr 03, 2018
Last T20 vs New Zealand at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Apr 24, 2023
Biography
Shaheen Shah Afridi, a distinguished cricketer from Pakistan, was born on the 6th of April in the year 2000. His place of birth is Landi Kotal, situated in the Khyber Agency, within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, presently known as the Khyber District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afridi hails from the Zakhakhel Afridi tribe, a Pashtun ethnic group, and is the youngest of seven siblings. His familial lineage is significant in the realm of sports, with his elder brother Riaz Afridi having represented Pakistan in Test cricket in 2004, and his cousin Yasir Afridi being a professional footballer for the national team.
During his upbringing in Landi Kotal, Afridi’s affinity for cricket was evident and nurtured within his family. His introduction to competitive cricket occurred through his brother Riaz, who initiated him into hard-ball cricket during the FATA Under-16 trials in 2015. Prior to this juncture, Afridi’s cricketing experience was confined to informal matches with tennis balls. His adept performance in these trials secured his selection for the Pakistani Under-16 cricket team’s tour of Australia in November 2015. Here, Afridi’s cricketing prowess was conspicuous, contributing significantly to the team’s triumphs in both the One-Day and Twenty20 series.
In terms of his educational background, specific details regarding Afridi’s academic pursuits remain largely unreported. In the context of Pakistan, where young athletes often have to balance their educational commitments with intense training regimes, it is plausible that Afridi’s academic journey was intertwined with his burgeoning cricket career. The accelerated progression of his cricketing career post-2015 suggests a primary focus on sports during his adolescent years.
Career Journey - Meteoric Rise from Newbie to Professional
Shaheen Afridi’s meteoric rise from Pakistan’s turbulent northwest to spearheading its pace bowling fortunes has underscored a tremendous work ethic complementing innate talent. His initial tryst with serious cricket as a teenager in 2015 fast-tracked Afridi into Under-16 tours where stellar outings paved the pathway for representing Pakistan at Under-19 level subsequently.
Domestic debuts followed in late 2017, marking the start of setting new benchmarks - whether an 8-wicket first-class haul or recording the best T20 figures in English county history. Parallel international opportunities arose from 2018 as Afridi’s tearaway left-arm pace and ability to swing the new ball proved assets for Pakistan. Despite his youth, Afridi led statistical charts at the 2019 World Cup.
Leadership came early too - first as captain of his Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars, then of the national T20I team at just 22. All through Afridi kept justifying prodigious talent with performances, confirmed by the 2021 ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year honor on crossing 100 wickets fastest for Pakistan in ODIs.
Now an indispensable asset across formats, Shaheen Afridi’s story underscores how unflinching self-belief and obsession with line, length and swing can elevate precocious talents into feared bowling giants before physical primes. With over 200 international wickets achieved already, Afridi’s soaring graph seems destined for further peaks as he leads Pakistan’s pace renaissance.
Bowling Speed and Play Style of Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistani speedster Shaheen Afridi’s ability to run in and deliver 90 mph thunderbolts consistently has affirmed his status as one of cricket’s elite pacers. Standing tall at 6ft 6in, Afridi utilizes his towering frame to generate steep bounce and movement at alarming rates. A rhythmical, accelerating run-up allows him to harness momentum efficiently before unwinding a whippy side-on action where the left-arm is released from a hyperextended shoulder position. This biomechanical arrangement, allied with stable wrists and flawless high-arm execution, enables Afridi to propel the cherry down at 139 kph on average. Yet, Afridi’s figures have extended beyond - 154 kph firebolts send stumps cartwheeling routinely. At just 22 years of age, the prodigious pacer’s speed radar readings rank among the highest globally, drawing comparisons with former Pakistani greats like Shoaib Akhtar. This turn of pace coupled with subtle seam movement poses perennial problems for adversaries. However, maintaining line and length consistency, especially against formidable opponents in high stakes matches, remains a work in progress. Nonetheless, in Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan has unearthed a generational talent whose blistering pace, towering height and innate ability to swing the orb both ways promise to revive the glory days of fearsome Pakistani fast bowling units that once ruled supreme. With dedicated coaching and physical conditioning, Afridi looks poised to breach the 160 kph mark and beyond in coming years.
Personal Life
Pakistani cricketing sensation Shaheen Afridi recently embarked on a marital union with Ansha Afridi, daughter of former Pakistan stalwart Shahid Afridi, in an intimate nikah ceremony on February 3rd, 2023. Ansha, born on December 6th, 2000 in Islamabad, has grown up under the spotlight yet maintained a low profile by prioritizing her academic pursuits. After graduating medical school in Karachi, the doctor by training now juggles family commitments with her involvement in Shahid Afridi Foundation’s social initiatives.
For Shaheen Afridi, this latest development marks another milestone in a youthful journey already dotted by prodigious success. Hailing from Landi Kotal in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as the youngest of seven brothers, Shaheen belongs to the ethnic Pashtun Zakhakhel Afridi tribe that cousin Yasir Afridi, captain of the Pakistan football team, also shares lineage with. Eldest sibling Riaz Afridi’s five Test appearances for Pakistan turning out to be the only visible cricketing connection earlier.
With familial bonds now intertwined through matrimony, sporting pedigree infused further and inspirations aplenty at home, Shaheen Afridi seems primed to channel his excellence across formats onto new peaks in the years ahead. However, the young Pakistan spearhead and his new bride prefer treasuring personal privacy despite public adulation.
Conclusion
In choosing to blend his starry career with academic and philanthropic partner Ansha Afridi this February, Shaheen Shah Afridi added another chapter befitting his stratospheric yet grounded rise. With familial ties intertwining two powerhouses of Pakistani cricket, the youthful quick seems primed to raise his game in tandem with maintaining a private lifestyle away from the glare. This quest for excellence and humility aptly captures the phenomenon Afridi has become to his nation’s followers. To global cricket fans, he remains a prodigy carrying the promise of reviving Pakistan’s once-feared pace bowling glory. Their expectations have only swelled after his heroics heralded a new dawn. By channeling these good tidings with trademark verve and dedication going forward, Shaheen Shah Afridi’s cricket story looks destined for even brighter pages.