Former Pakistan captain and legendary cricketer Shahid Afridi celebrates his 44th birthday on March 1, 2021 (Monday). One of the most loved and respected cricketers around the world, Afridi represented the Pakistan national team in over 500 international matches across all three forms. Afridi is seen as a great all-rounder although he has always considered himself more of a batsman than a bowler. Not so long ago, Afridi held the record of scoring the fastest century in ODI cricket before it was broken by first Corey Anderson and then AB de Villiers. As Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi celebrates his 44th birthday, take a look at some lesser-known facts about him. Shahid Afridi Questions ICC’s Rule Restricting Umpires from Holding Bowlers’ Cap During Overs (View Post).

Afridi made his Pakistan debut against Kenya in 1996 and went to smash the then fastest ODI century against Sri Lanka off just 37 deliveries. He made his Test debut against Australia and his T20I debut came against England. Afridi also holds the record for most T20I wickets (40) by a captain. He also played an influential role in Pakistan’s T20I World Cup win in 2009. Take a look at some interesting about Afridi. PSL 2021: Nepal Leg-Spinner Sandeep Lamichanne Replaces Rashid Khan in Lahore Qalandars.

Shahid Afridi Thanks Fans for Birthday Wishes

  • Shahid Afridi was born to a family of Sufi Pirs in the Khyber Agency of Pakistan

  • He belongs to the famous Afridi tribe of Pashtuns

  • Afridi’s grandfather Maulana Muhammad Ilyas was a well-known spiritual figure in Bhutan Shariff in the Tirah valley

  • Shahid Afridi modelled his bowling action after famous leg-spinner Abdul Qadir

  • He held the record of the fastest century in ODIs from 1996 to 2014. Afridi smashed a hundred in just 37 deliveries against Sri Lanka in his first ODI innings

  • Afridi holds the record for hitting the longest six in cricket history. He once smashed South Africa’s Ryan McLaren for 158 meters during a South Africa vs Pakistan match at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg

  • Shahid Afridi is the youngest centurion in ODI history. He smashed a hundred in just 16 years and 217 days in his second match against Sri Lanka

  • He is nick named 'Boom Boom' and is also referred to as 'Lala' by his fans and teammates

Afridi played 398 ODIs, 99 T20Is and 27 Test matches for Pakistan taking 395, 98 and 48 wickets respectively. Afridi scored 8064 runs in ODIs with the help of six hundreds and 39 fifties. He also hit five centuries in Test matches and 1416 runs in T20Is.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2021 10:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).