As per expectations, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed all-rounder Shahid Khan Afridi as Pakistan Cricket Team skipper for the ICC Twenty-20 World Cup 2010 being held in the West Indies in April-May this year. Afridi was earlier named Pakistan's captain in the same format last year, but he was temporarily out of the picture after he was found guilty of ball-tampering in a T-20 match against Australia earlier this year.
Afridi was banned for two T-20 matches by the ICC on the charge of ball tempering. The PCB handed him a hefty fine further. After his appointment as captain of Pakistan cricket team, Afridi has vowed to defend the title through hard work, commitment and discipline in the team. He said he considered the appointment as skipper a great honour and assured the nation to come up to their expectation in forthcoming mega event.
Afridi further said that there was no rift in the team which, he said is united and would come up to expectations of the nation. Sources in PCB told Business Recorder that Shahid Afridi has been named skipper after due consideration and in consultation with Coach Waqar Younus and Manager Yawar Saeed. According to them, the names of a few other players like Abdul Razzaq, Umer Gul and Kamran Akmal were under consideration but finally Shahid Afridi was chosen for this prestigious slot.
Shahid Afridi made his ODI debut on October 2, 1996 against Kenya in Nairobi and his Test debut on October 22, 1998 against Australia at Karachi. Afridi is known for his aggressive batting style, and currently holds the highest career strike rate in the history of international cricket. In a recent survey, Afridi was named as the most popular cricketer in Pakistan.
He also holds the record for the fastest one-day century, which he made in his debut innings, as well as scoring 32 runs in a single over, the second highest score ever in one-day event. His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack-oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi" for his fastest ODI century just in 37 balls.
As of February 21, 2010, Afridi has an ODI strike rate of 111.65 runs per 100 balls, the highest in the game's history. This attitude has been transferred to Test cricket as well, with Afridi scoring at a relatively high strike rate of 86.13 in Tests. He has an approach to batting that can change the tempo of a game and inspire the mood of audience, as shown when a mass exodus of spectators occurred in Pakistan in late 2005 following his dismissal from the crease.
He hits many sixes long and high, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket. Hid trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump. This explosive style has led to some memorable shots, most notably the first ever 12 in power cricket in 2002, where Afridi successfully hit the roof. However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket.
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