Waqar Younis Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Waqar Younis Maitla
Born November 16, 1971, Vehari, Punjab
Current age 42 years 314 days
Major teams Pakistan, Glamorgan, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, National Bank of Pakistan, Rawalpindi, Redco Pakistan Ltd, Surrey, United Bank Limited
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast
Other Coach, Commentator
Relation Brother - Faisal Younis
Waqar Younis Maitla
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 87 120 21 1010 45 10.20 2106 47.95 0 0 133 16 18 0
ODIs 262 139 45 969 37 10.30 1445 67.05 0 0 58 21 35 0
First-class 228 283 61 2972 64 13.38 0 6 58 0
List A 411 215 66 1553 45 10.42 0 0 56 0
Twenty20 7 3 2 6 6 6.00 5 120.00 0 0 1 0 1 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 87 154 16224 8788 373 7/76 13/135 23.56 3.25 43.4 28 22 5
ODIs 262 258 12698 9919 416 7/36 7/36 23.84 4.68 30.5 14 13 0
First-class 228 39182 21350 956 8/17 22.33 3.26 40.9 63 14
List A 411 19811 15083 674 7/36 7/36 22.37 4.56 29.3 27 17 0
Twenty20 7 7 156 181 5 3/21 3/21 36.20 6.96 31.2 0 0 0
Career statistics
Test debut Pakistan v India at Karachi, Nov 15-20, 1989 scorecard
Last Test South Africa v Pakistan at Cape Town, Jan 2-5, 2003 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut Pakistan v West Indies at Sharjah, Oct 14, 1989 scorecard
Last ODI Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Bulawayo, Mar 4, 2003 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class debut 1987/88
Last First-class Allied Bank v Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan at Rawalpindi, Jan 5-8, 2004 scorecard
List A debut 1988/89
Last List A Allied Bank v National Bank of Pakistan at Rawalpindi, Dec 28, 2003 scorecard
Twenty20 debut Somerset v Warwickshire at Taunton, Jun 13, 2003 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Surrey v Warwickshire at Nottingham, Jul 19, 2003 scorecard
Recent matches
Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard
0/25 Pakistanis v Int XI The Oval 10 Jul 2006 Other
Profile
The man who really put the reverse into swing. Waqar Younis bucked the 1980s trend of pitching fast and short by pitching fast and full. Not an obvious recipe for success until you factor in prodigious late inswing, which was designed to smash into the base of leg stump or the batsman's toes. In his youth, he was one of the fastest ever.
Waqar's surging run was a glorious sight - and an incredible strain on his body. His method of aiming for the stumps rather than the batsman earned him the best strike rate of any bowler with over 200 Test wickets. It could have been better: back injuries cut short his prime, but determination has always resurrected him, although he was easily pushed over the line that divides aggression and intimidation.
He looked to have been put out to pasture by the end of 2000, but before long he had been appointed captain for the 2001 tour to England. Initial results suggested that this was an inspired move, but in October 2002 he was at the helm as Pakistan crumbled to 59 and 53 all out against Australia in Sharjah. He managed to retain the job for the World Cup, but a disastrous tournament - Pakistan beat only Holland and Namibia - meant an unceremonious exit. Unable to force his way back into a side building for the future, he announced his retirement in April 2004. As a batsman, lusty blows were his staple, but Waqar batted with the air of a man who thinks he could have done better.
The next stage of his career began in March 2006, when he was appointed Pakistan's bowling coach, and he also became a regular in the commentary box. In March 2010 he became head coach of Pakistan, a job he handled till August 2011. While Pakistan were embroiled in several off-field controversies during that period - the spot-fixing scandal in England and Zulqarnain Haider fleeing to the UK happened during those 18 months - the on-field results were pretty good: Pakistan drew a Test series in South Africa, won in New Zealand, and reached the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup. He was later shortlisted as one of the candidates for Australia's bowling coach, while he also had a short coaching stint in the BPL, but his next high-profile assignment came in May 2014, when he returned as Pakistan's coach for a second term.
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Wasim Akram Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Wasim Akram
Born June 3, 1966 Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Role Bowler
Batting style Left-handed
Bowling style Left-arm fast
International information
Test debut (cap 102) 25 January 1985: v New Zealand
Last Test 9 January 2002: v Bangladesh
ODI debut (cap 53) 23 November 1984: v New Zealand
Last ODI 4 March 2003: v Zimbabwe
Domestic team information
Years Team
2003 Hampshire
2000/01 Lahore Blues
1992/93 – 2000/01 Pakistan International Airlines
1988 – 1998 Lancashire
1997/98 Lahore City
1985/86 Lahore City Whites
1984/85 – 1985/86 Pakistan Automobiles Corporation
Wasim Akram (Urdu: وسیم اکرم)(born June 3, 1966 in Lahore, Punjab) is a former Pakistani cricketer. He was a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman, who represented the Pakistani cricket team in Tests and One-Day Internationals. He is widely regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever and holds world records for the most wickets taken in both ODIs (502) and List A cricket (881). Domestic career
Wasim signed for Lancashire in 1988 and went on to become one of their most successful overseas players. From 1988 to 1998, he spearheaded their attack in their NatWest Trophy, Benson & Hedges Cup and Sunday League winning sides. He was a favourite of the local fans who used to sing a song called "Wasim for England" at Lancashire's matches.
International career
Wasim made his Test debut for Pakistani cricket team against New Zealand in early 1985 and in only his second Test he made his presence felt with a ten-wicket haul. Like a few other Pakistani cricketers of his time, he was identified at club level and bypassed first-class domestic competition, entering international cricket directly. A few weeks prior to his selection into the Pakistani team, he was an unknown club cricketer who had failed to even make it to his college team. He was spotted by Javed Miandad, and as a result of his insisting was it that Wasim was given an oppurtunity to play for Pakistan. Later that season he paired with Imran, who became his mentor, at the World Championship of Cricket in Australia.
Wasim's rise in international cricket was rapid during the initial years. When Pakistan toured the West Indies in 1988, he looked to be the quickest bowler between the two sides. However, a serious groin injury impeded his career in the late 1980s. Following two surgeries, he re-emerged in 1990 as a bowler who focused more on swing and control than speed.
One-Day success
Wasim was instrumental in Pakistan's famous World Cup victory in 1992 in Australia. In the final against England his late flurry of an innings, 33 off 19 balls, pushed Pakistan to a respectable 249 for 6. Wasim then took the all-important wicket of Ian Botham early on, and when brought back into the attack later on, with the ball reverse swinging, he produced a devastating spell which led to Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis being clean-bowled in successive deliveries. His excellent performances earned him the Man of the Match award for the final.
He also captained Pakistan with some success. The high points of his captaincy were the 1996-97 victory in the World Series in Australia, two Test match wins in India in 1998-99 and in 1999, when Pakistan reached the World Cup final for the second time. The low point was the 1996 World Cup in Pakistan and India, when he had to pull out of the crucial quarter final match against India. After Pakistan's defeat, there were angry protests outside his homes, and a government inquiry was launched into the failure.
In 1999, he led Pakistan to the brink of victory in the World Cup before they rolled over and gave the final to Australia. This was the start of the match-fixing controversies, as people believed Wasim had set up the match for Australia. He was pardoned by Justice Qayyum.
He was Pakistan's top bowler in the 2003 World Cup taking 19 wickets in 7 matches. However, Pakistan failed to reach the "Super Six" phase of the tournament, and Wasim was one of the eight players to be sacked by the Pakistan Cricket Board as a result.
Wasim was diagnosed with diabetes at the peak of his career, but despite the initial psychological blow, he managed to regain his form and went on to produce fine cricketing displays. Since then he has actively sought to be involved in various awareness-raising campaigns for diabetes.
Playing style
“ Over my 15 or 16 years of playing international cricket in Tests and one-day internationals, Wasim Akram is definitely the most outstanding bowler I've ever faced. ”
— Former West Indies batsman Brian Lara.
An immensely talented player first discovered by Javed Miandad, Wasim played for his college(Govt. Islamia College Civil Lines, Lahore) as an opening bowler and batsman. As a bowler, Wasim possessed genuine pace, accurate control of line and length and seam position, and could swing the ball both in and out. With a very deceptive ball-concealing action, he could bowl equally well from both sides of the wicket. His mastery of reverse swing with the old ball meant he was at his most dangerous towards the end of an innings, and earned him the nickname Sultan of Swing.
As well as often being able to find the edge of the bat, Wasim would also focus his attack on the stumps and had a particularly lethal yorker. Of his 414 Test wickets, 193 were taken caught, 119 were taken LBW and 102 were bowled. In partnership with Waqar Younis, he intimidated international batsmen in the 1990s. Together Wasim and Waqar, known as "the two Ws" of the Pakistani team, were one of the most successful bowling partnerships ever.
Wasim was also skilled with the bat and was regarded as a bowling all-rounder. He was especially effective against spinners. However, he liked to slog and was criticised for his lack of big scores and giving away his wicket too cheaply for a player of his talent. He did silence his critics in October 1996 when he scored 257, not out, of the team's total of 553 against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. He also made good scores in difficult times for the Pakistan team such as his 123 against Australia and his 45 not-out to take Pakistan to victory in a low-scoring match. Pakistan, needing six runs in two balls two win the Nehru Cup saw Wasim come out to bat. The first ball he faced was hit out of the ground and secured the cup. Ahmed Bilal was his coach who gave him tricks on reverse swing.
Records
In his Test career, Wasim took 414 wickets in 104 matches, a Pakistani record, at an average of 23.62, and scored 2,898 runs, at an average of 22.64.
In One-Day Internationals, Wasim took a world record 502 wickets in 356 appearances, at an average of 23.52, and scored 3,717 runs, at an average of 16.52.
Wasim was the first bowler in international cricket to take more than 400 wickets in both forms of the game, and only Muttiah Muralitharan has since achieved this.
Wasim also held the record for the most wickets in Cricket World Cups — a total of 55 in 38 matches. Australia's Glenn McGrath broke the record during the 2007 World Cup, ending with a final tally of 71 from 39 matches. On passing Wasim's record, McGrath said, "Wasim Akram, to me, is one of the greatest bowlers of all time. Left-armer, swung it both ways with the new ball and he was so dangerous with the old ball. To go past him is something I will always remember. Probably the other side of the coin is that if you play long enough, you're going to break records here and there."
Uniquely, Wasim took four hat-tricks in international cricket, two each in Tests and ODIs. He is one of only three bowlers to have taken two Test hat-tricks (the others being Hugh Trumble and Jimmy Matthews), and also one of only three bowlers to have taken two ODI hat-tricks (the others being fellow Pakistani Saqlain Mushtaq and Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka). Wasim's Test hat-tricks are unique, since they were taken in consecutive Test matches in the same series, against Sri Lanka in 1999. Wasim is also one of only two bowlers to have taken both a Test and ODI hat-trick (the other being fellow Pakistani Mohammad Sami).
Playing in a Test against the West Indies at Lahore in 1990-91, he became one of only six players to have taken four wickets in an over during a Test match. In Wasim's case, the feat was not part of a hat-trick, the third ball of the series being a dropped catch, which allowed a single.
Wasim has also achieved the highest score by a number eight batsman in Test cricket — 257 not out from 363 balls against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura. The innings contained 12 sixes which is also a world record for Test cricket.
He also has the joint-highest number of Man of the Match awards in Test cricket, along with South African Jacques Kallis, with 17.
Controversies
In 1992, after he had been successful against English batsmen, accusations of ball tampering began to appear in the English press, though no video evidence was ever found. Wasim and Waqar had been able to obtain prodigious amounts of movement from old balls. This phenomenon, termed reverse swing was relatively unknown in England at the time.
A far larger controversy was created when he was alleged to be involved in match fixing. An enquiry commission was set up by Pakistan Cricket Board headed by a Pakistan high court judge Malik Mohammed Qayyum. The judge wrote in his report that:
This commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion.
Retirement
Wasim retired in 2003, after a brief spell with Hampshire in England. Since then, Wasim has taken up commentary and can currently be seen as a sportscaster for the ESPN Star network, and is also running shows on ARY Digital.
He is married to Huma Mufti, daughter of Mr. Humayaun Mufti. Huma and Wasim have two sons from their marriage of thirteen years.
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Umar Gul Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Umar Gul
Born April 14, 1984, Peshawar, North-Western Frontier Province
Current age 30 years 165 days
Major teams Pakistan, Gloucestershire, Habib Bank Limited, Kolkata Knight Riders, North West Frontier Province, North West Frontier Province Panthers, Pakistan A, Pakistan International Airlines, Peshawar, Peshawar Panthers, Sussex, Uva Next, Western Australia
Playing role Bowler
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium
Umar Gul
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 47 67 9 577 65* 9.94 1204 47.92 0 1 63 20 11 0
ODIs 124 63 17 451 39 9.80 637 70.80 0 0 36 13 15 0
T20Is 56 25 8 164 32 9.64 153 107.18 0 0 11 10 18 0
First-class 87 113 15 1170 65* 11.93 0 1 20 0
List A 175 87 26 630 39 10.32 0 0 21 0
Twenty20 126 66 16 467 32 9.34 438 106.62 0 0 30 27 34 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 47 90 9599 5553 163 6/135 9/164 34.06 3.47 58.8 12 4 0
ODIs 124 122 5782 4966 173 6/42 6/42 28.70 5.15 33.4 4 2 0
T20Is 56 56 1131 1340 80 5/6 5/6 16.75 7.10 14.1 4 2 0
First-class 87 16780 9487 341 8/78 27.82 3.39 49.2 19 18 2
List A 175 8233 6927 243 6/42 6/42 28.50 5.04 33.8 5 2 0
Twenty20 126 126 2683 3244 179 5/6 5/6 18.12 7.25 14.9 8 2 0
Career statistics
Test debut Pakistan v Bangladesh at Karachi, Aug 20-24, 2003 scorecard
Last Test South Africa v Pakistan at Cape Town, Feb 14-17, 2013 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Sharjah, Apr 3, 2003 scorecard
Last ODI Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dhaka, Mar 8, 2014 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut Kenya v Pakistan at Nairobi (Gym), Sep 4, 2007 scorecard
Last T20I Pakistan v West Indies at Dhaka, Apr 1, 2014 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut 2001/02
Last First-class Habib Bank Limited v Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at Lahore, Jan 14-17, 2014 scorecard
List A debut 2002/03
Last List A Pakistan v Sri Lanka at Dhaka, Mar 8, 2014 scorecard
Twenty20 debut Hyderabad Hawks v Peshawar Panthers at Lahore, Apr 25, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Faisalabad Wolves v Islamabad Leopards at Karachi, Sep 26, 2014 scorecard
Recent matches
Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard
1/29, 1 Leopards v Wolves Karachi 26 Sep 2014 T20
3/24 Leopards v L Eagles Karachi 25 Sep 2014 T20
0, 1/27 Leopards v P Panthers Karachi 23 Sep 2014 T20
1/12 Leopards v AJK Jaguars Karachi 22 Sep 2014 T20
1/10 Khyber v Sind Karachi 10 Aug 2014 T20
1*, 0/20 Khyber v Punjab (Pak) Peshawar 8 Aug 2014 T20
0/16 M.C.C. v ROW XI Lord's 5 Jul 2014 Other OD
0/29, 4 Pakistan v West Indies Dhaka 1 Apr 2014 T20I # 397
3/30 Pakistan v Bangladesh Dhaka 30 Mar 2014 T20I # 392
2/29 Pakistan v Australia Dhaka 23 Mar 2014 T20I # 381
Profile
The least-hyped but most successful and assured Pakistan pace product of the last few years, Umar Gul is the latest in Pakistan's assembly-line of pace-bowling talent. He had played just nine first-class matches when called up for national duty in the wake of Pakistan's poor 2003 World Cup. On the flat tracks of Sharjah, Gul performed admirably, maintaining excellent discipline and getting appreciable outswing with the new ball.
He isn't express but bowls a very quick heavy ball and his exceptional control and ability to extract seam movement marks him out. Further, his height enables him to extract bounce on most surfaces and from his natural back of a length, it is a useful trait. His first big moment in his career came in the Lahore Test against India in 2003-04. Unfazed by a daunting batting line-up, Gul tore through the Indian top order, moving the ball both ways off the seam at a sharp pace. His 5 for 31 in the first innings gave Pakistan the early initiative which they drove home to win the Test.
Unfortunately, that was his last cricket of any kind for over a year as he discovered three stress fractures in his back immediately after the Test. The injury would have ended many an international career, but Gul returned, fitter and sharper than before in late 2005. He returned in a Pakistan shirt against India in the ODI series at home in February 2006 and in Sri Lanka showed further signs of rehabilitation by lasting both Tests but it was really the second half of 2006, where he fully came of age. Leading the attack against England and then the West Indies as Pakistan's main bowlers suffered injuries, Gul stood tall, finishing Pakistan's best bowler.
Since then, as Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar have floundered, Gul has become Pakistan's spearhead and one of the best fast bowlers in the world. He is smart enough and good enough to succeed in all three formats and 2009 proved it: he put together a patch of wicket-taking in ODIs, on dead pitches in Tests (including a career-best six-wicket haul against Sri Lanka) and established himself as the world's best Twenty20 bowler, coming on after the initial overs and firing in yorkers on demand.
He had hinted at that by being leading wicket-taker in the 2007 World Twenty20; over the next two years he impressed wherever he went, in the IPL for the Kolkatta Knight Riders and in Australia's domestic Twenty20 tournament. Confirmation came on the grandest stage: having poleaxed Australia in a T20I in Dubai with 4-8, he was the best bowler and leading wicket-taker as Pakistan won the second World Twenty20 in England. The highlight was 5-6 against New Zealand, the highest quality exhibition of yorker bowling. He is not a one-format pony, however, and will remain a crucial cog in Pakistan's attack across all formats
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Saeed Ajmal Biogaphy
Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Saeed Ajmal
Born October 14, 1977, Faisalabad, Punjab
Current age 36 years 347 days
Major teams Pakistan, Antigua Hawksbills, Dhaka Gladiators, Faisalabad, Faisalabad Wolves, Islamabad Cricket Association, Khan Research Labs, Water and Power Development Authority, Worcestershire, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited
Playing role Bowler
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Saeed Ajmal
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 35 53 12 451 50 11.00 1082 41.68 0 1 44 4 11 0
ODIs 111 69 24 324 33 7.20 531 61.01 0 0 25 0 25 0
T20Is 63 23 12 91 21* 8.27 86 105.81 0 0 7 2 12 0
First-class 134 182 50 1611 53* 12.20 0 4 44 0
List A 217 121 49 521 33 7.23 0 0 51 0
Twenty20 145 44 21 181 21* 7.86 170 106.47 0 0 13 4 24 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 35 67 11592 5003 178 7/55 11/111 28.10 2.58 65.1 9 10 4
ODIs 111 110 5885 4059 183 5/24 5/24 22.18 4.13 32.1 6 2 0
T20Is 63 62 1410 1491 85 4/19 4/19 17.54 6.34 16.5 4 0 0
First-class 134 31740 14147 546 7/19 25.91 2.67 58.1 37 7
List A 217 11390 8239 337 5/18 5/18 24.44 4.34 33.7 11 3 0
Twenty20 145 144 3236 3371 207 4/14 4/14 16.28 6.25 15.6 7 0 0
Career statistics
Test debut Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
Last Test Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), Aug 14-18, 2014 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut Pakistan v India at Karachi, Jul 2, 2008 scorecard
Last ODI Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Dambulla, Aug 30, 2014 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut Australia v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC), May 7, 2009 scorecard
Last T20I Pakistan v West Indies at Dhaka, Apr 1, 2014 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut 1996/97
Last First-class Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), Aug 14-18, 2014 scorecard
List A debut 1995/96
Last List A Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Dambulla, Aug 30, 2014 scorecard
Twenty20 debut Faisalabad Wolves v Quetta Bears at Lahore, Apr 26, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Warwickshire v Worcestershire at Birmingham, Jul 11, 2014 scorecard
Recent matches
Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard
6, 1/10 Pakistan v Sri Lanka Dambulla 30 Aug 2014 ODI # 3519
1/77, 4, 3/89, 3* Pakistan v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 14 Aug 2014 Test # 2136
12, 5/166, 4, 0/29 Pakistan v Sri Lanka Galle 6 Aug 2014 Test # 2133
20, 4/66, 53*, 3/81 Worcs v Leics Worcester 13 Jul 2014 FC
3/17 Worcs v Warwickshire Birmingham 11 Jul 2014 T20
1/34 Worcs v Lancashire Worcester 6 Jul 2014 T20
4/45 M.C.C. v ROW XI Lord's 5 Jul 2014 Other OD
14, 5/106, 7/34 Worcs v Glamorgan Worcester 29 Jun 2014 FC
0/10 Worcs v Warwickshire Worcester 20 Jun 2014 T20
27, 1/46, 6/19 Worcs v Leics Leicester 15 Jun 2014 FC
Profile
A modern-day offspinner who relies on the doosra as much as on other variations of flight and speed, Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket, at the age of 30, but is doing his best to make up for lost time, quickly moving up to be regarded among the best spinners in the game today. Ajmal didn't play his first Test till almost 32, but showed immediately that he belonged, taking five wickets in his debut Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2009.
His golden run, though, started in 2011, when he showed superb control over all his variations - the offspinner, the doosra and the subtle changes in speed and flight. Unlike many offspinners who change their line when bowling the doosra, Ajmal tends to bowl the offspinner and the doosra from around the same line - on or just outside off - which makes it much tougher for batsmen to pick his variations. In 2011 he was the leading wicket-taker in Tests, with 50 in eight matches. But the best series of his young career came early in 2012, when he destroyed the batting line-up of the best team in the world, England, taking 24 wickets in just three games at 14.70. In the process, he clearly won the battle of offspinners against the highly rated Graeme Swann.
However, Ajmal first made his mark in international cricket in ODIs. He was called up for the 2008 Asia Cup, and soon after he had the Australians completely bewildered in the ODI series in the UAE; he gave away few runs and his doosra was almost unreadable. The ICC called him for his action, though it was cleared soon after. The pressure didn't get to him and immediately after, he played a crucial role in Pakistan's drive to the 2009 World Twenty20 title, regularly bottling up the middle overs with Shahid Afridi. He ended the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with an exemplary economy rate as batsmen around the world struggled to get a read on his bag of tricks.
Saeed Ajmal
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Shahid Afridi Biography
Source(google.com.pk)
Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi (born 1 March 1980 in Khyber Agency), popularly known as Shahid Afridi, is a Pakistani cricketer currently playing for the Pakistani national team in the international circuit. He made his ODI debut on 2 October 1996 against Kenya in Nairobi[1] and his Test debut on 22 October 1998 against Australia at Karachi.[2] He 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.[3] 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 scoring over ever in an ODI.
Style
His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname “Boom Boom Afridi” for his fastest One Day International century just in 37 balls. As of 22 May 2007, he has an ODI strike rate of 109.38 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 an 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, favoring straight down the ground or over midwicket. A trademark shot is a crossbatted flick to the leg-side to a ball outside off stump.[8]. 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. [9] However, his aggressive style increases his risk of getting out and he is one of the most inconsistent batsmen in cricket. This is reflected by the fact that he is the only player to score more than 5000 ODI runs at an average under 25.
Bowling-wise, his stock ball is the leg break, but his armory also includes the conventional off break and a ‘quicker one’ which he can deliver at nearly 80 mph in the style of a medium-pacer. He bowls at a high speed for a spinner, resulting in lesser turn, and relying more on variations in speed. He occasionally sends down a bouncer to a batsmen, which is very rare for a spin bowler.
International career
In October 1996 at the age of sixteen he was brought into the ODI team as a legspinner as a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed. He then gained notability as a pinch-hitter and began opening with Saeed Anwar. He holds the record for scoring the fastest century in one-day internationals (off 37 balls)[12], scored in only his second match and his first ODI innings. He also shares with Brian Lara the record for the third-fastest century in ODIs (off 45 balls). One of Pakistan’s most useful all-rounders, he has an extremely aggressive batting style, which has garnered him over 5,000 ODI runs (including an erstwhile world-record 249 sixes, recently broken by Sanath Jayasuriya), as well as taking over 250 wickets at ODI and 47 at Test level.
For various reasons, including a perception that he lacks patience in his batting, Afridi had limited opportunity in Test matches, although he currently averages in the high thirties and mid-thirties with bat and ball respectively. As it is, Afridi has featured in less than one third of the Test Matches played by Pakistan over the course of his career.[13] However, he made his presence felt in the third Test against India in March 2005, scoring a quick-fire second-innings half-century and taking five wickets in the match (including Tendulkar twice) to help Pakistan to win the game and register a series draw.
It is perceived that his batting struggles on bouncy pitches and against opponents like Australia, although his record against the Australians has improved over time. Although he has had success as an opener on sub-continent pitches, Afridi is often moved into the lower order as well.
Afridi was more consistent with his batting and bowling throughout 2005, starting with the tours of India and West Indies and through to the England tour. The Pakistani coach Bob Woolmer helped Afridi to reach a fuller potential by improving his shot selection and giving him free rein over his batting attitude.
In the 2007 World Twenty20, he performed poorly with the bat but brilliantly with the ball, earning the Man of the Series award, though he failed to take a wicket in the final and was out for a golden duck.
Career Highlights
* On 4 October 1996, playing his maiden international innings, Afridi hit the fastest One-Day century off 37 balls against Sri Lanka in Nairobi. His innings included 28 runs off one of Sanath Jayasuriya’s overs, whose record he broke. [15]
* Youngest player in history to make an ODI century at just 16 years and 217 days with his 37 ball ton against Sri Lanka. It included 11 sixes and 6 fours. [16]
* Made a half-century from 26 balls and took 3 second-innings wickets in Pakistan’s series-drawing Test victory against India in March 2005.[14]
* Holds the joint record with Brian Lara for the third fastest ODI century off 45 balls in April 2005 against India. [17] This actually was the first match that witnessed the Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri make him the nickname Boom Boom Afridi.
* Equal highest aggregate sixes scored in the 50-over game, shared the legendary Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya, and he the most sixes per innings record.
* Scored four consecutive sixes off a Harbhajan Singh over in a Test match against India in January 2006, matching a feat that Kapil Dev achieved in 1990.
* Was the first player to score 12 runs off one ball, by hitting the roof of the Millennium Stadium. This took place in a game of Power Cricket.[citation needed][clarification needed]
* Holds four of the top eight fastest ODI half centuries, twice completed in 18 balls and twice in 20 balls. He has also scored a half century off just 21 balls.
* Made 32 runs off a Malinga Bandara over in an ODI game at Abu Dhabi in 2007. He struck four consecutive sixes and it was the 2nd most expensive over in ODI history.
* Afridi is only third player in ODI history to achieve the combination of 5000 runs and 200 wickets. The other players being Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya and South African Jacques Kallis.
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
Shahid Afridi
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Shahid Afridi
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