Shahid Afridi started as a aggressive batsmen who could bowl but now he rates himself more as a bowler than a batsman. He has hit a purple patch for Pakistan especially after his comeback to the team since being dropped from the team in spite of being the leading wicket taker in the 2011 World Cup, Afridi batted beautifully to win for Pakistan a virtually lost game against Sri Lanka. He scored a blistering 75 before taking 5 for 35, becoming the only cricketer to score a half-century and take five wickets in two ODIs, leading Pakistan to a 26-run win in a low-scoring contest. Even in the first ODI against Bangladesh Afridi bagged a fiver & scored crucial 24 runs including 3 fours off Shakib Al Hasan to lead Pakistan to victory. Afridi stated after the match that 'I had a point to prove and actions speak louder than words'.
Criticism & accusations
Afridi has often been accused of playing far too many shots before getting set. He has been known to give away his wicket by playing reckless shots even when situation demands a more sensible approach. He is known to play a match winning innings only once in a blue moon.
Afridi was caught on camera biting the ball towards the end of the 5th ODI against Australia and was banned from two T20 internationals.
Achievements
He is known for his aggressive batting style, and holds the record for the fastest ODI century off only 37 balls which he made in his first international innings, as well as scoring 32 runs in a single over, the second highest scoring over ever in an ODI. He also holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket. Afridi has taken 48 Test wickets and over 300 in ODIs. Currently Afridi is the leading wicket taker in the Twenty20 format taking 53 wickets from 43 matches. He was the leading wicket taker in the 2011 World Cup & took Pakistan into the semis single handedly.
Batting style
His general style of batting is very aggressive and attack oriented and has earned him the nickname "Boom Boom Afridi". Moreover, out of the seven fastest ODI centuries of all time, Afridi has scored three of them. As of 19 April 2011, he had an ODI strike rate of 113.88 runs per 100 balls, the fourth 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 86.97. 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, favouring straight down the ground or over midwicket and he did hit the longest ever six in the history of ODIs against Australia. His trademark shot is a cross-batted flick to the leg side to a ball outside off stump. 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 6,000 ODI runs at an average under 25.Afridi has moved about the batting order, and this lack of consistency has made it difficult for him to settle. In the Indian sub continent, where the ball quickly loses its shine, he prefers to open the batting however elsewhere he prefers to bat at number six.
Bowling
Having started as a fast bowler, Afridi decided to start bowling spin after he was told that his bowling action was suspect. He modeled himself after Pakistan leg-spinner Abdul Qadir. Afridi began his career as primarily a bowler, however after scoring the fastest century in his maiden ODI innings more was expected of him with the bat. He considers himself a better bowler than batsman. While he is renowned for his aggressive batting, he is also a handy leg spinner capable of producing a good mix of wicket taking balls. Of late Afridi has been known more for his bowling than his batting & has more than 300 wickets in ODI cricket.