Sahibzaha Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi

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Seeing Shahid Afridi in action, one is bound to check the fast forward button, but the man has that inborn speedy touch to whatever he does in life. The 21-year-old from Karachi loves to meet the challenges of life without wasting too much time. Often his hasty approach earns him the flak and people tend to write him off. Yet Afridi likes to prove people wrong. Molded on a jet-set pattern, Afridi's life took a speedy turn and the little known player transformed into one of the most popular cricketers of the world in a flash. It is nothing less than a fairy tale success story. A SOS shifted Afridi from an Under-19 series in the West Indies to the four-nation One-day tournament in Kenya. Like a witch's broom, Afridi wielded his willow to the best effect thrashing the Sri Lankan attack. He recorded the fastest One-day hundred off only 37 balls, which contained record equaling 11 sixes.

Afridi belongs to the North Frontier tribal areas where the inhabitants hate to lose a battle, and Afridi is no different from the rest. He wants to dominate the bowlers all the time. After his almost supernatural stint in Kenya, people expected the same mauling of the bowlers every time he walked out to bat. His detractors reckoned him a mere One-day player and believed he may never play a Test, as his style didn't suit the longer version of the game. Again he proved them wrong. When he played his first Test against Australia in Karachi in 1998, he unleashed his leg spin to the utmost effect taking five wickets in the first innings. In his second Test, he hammered 142 against India at Chennai to guide Pakistan to a 12-run victory in the match.

Afridi introduced probably the fastest spin delivery the game has seen in recent years. Bowling unorthodox quick leg spinners with an occasional shooter, he has surprised and beaten many a batsman.

Afridi's performance in One-day internationals played during 2000 does not present a healthy picture. In 27 matches, he has managed to score 604 runs at an average of 24.16, which contains three fifties. However, the picture is a bit encouraging as far as the longer version of the game is concerned. Taking part in five Test matches for Pakistan during the last year, he has scored 240 runs at an average of 30.00. He has also added nine wickets to his credit during the same period.