All-rounder Shahid Afridi smashed a rapid 70 and took two wickets as Pakistan eased to a 138-run victory over New Zealand in the first One-Day International in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The ICC Twenty20 World Championship may be six months away, but Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi has already prepared a blueprint to help the team retain the coveted title.
Shahid Afridi may get a chance to meet President Asif Ali Zardari in Karachi, with the former captain likely to request the chief patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board to pave the way for his return to the national team.
Pakistan all rounders Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik underwent regular dope tests in Johannesburg.
The 26-year-old, who has played 24 Tests, said the busy international calendar had contributed to his decision.
A repentant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi tendered an unconditional apology to the country and the cricket world after being penalised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for ball tampering, saying he would not repeat the "mad thing" again in future.
Pakistan beat Zimbabwe by 37 runs in the third one-day international to win the five-match series.
Within five months of quitting cricket due to a spat with his Board, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi on Tuesday announced his availability for the national team following a change of guard in the PCB and claimed that he had never retired.
Salman Butt on Saturday became the seventh Pakistan Test captain in three years after being handed the job for the second game against Australia and the subsequent four-match series against England.
Pakistan's ability to conjure unity from discord and disarray will be tested to the full in the first of two tests against Australia starting at Lord's on Tuesday.
Pakistan cricket may be in turmoil due to unending controversies but it would not affect the morale of the players and the team would still be one of the favourites in the upcoming World Cup, skipper Shahid Afridi said on Thursday.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who after guiding Pakistan to the Twenty20 World Cup title in Sunday's final expressed willingness to lead the national team atleast once before calling it quit, may soon get the opportunity.
Pakistan ODI captain Shahid Afridi said his team is all prepared to play on the Indian soil if it qualifies for the knock-out stage in the World Cup and there would not be any extra pressure on the players.
Former captain Shahid Afridi grabbed yet another five-wicket haul as Pakistan overcame Bangladesh by five wickets in the first one-day international in Dhaka on Thursday.
Shahid Afridi is making all the difference to Pakistan's challenge in the 2011 World Cup with 14 wickets at an economy rate of just 2.6. He now has a phenomenal MVPI of 506. Only two other Pakistanis, Umar Akmal (181) and Misbah-ul-Haq (180), make it to the top 50 MVP list.
The Pakistan all-rounder was on fire all through the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Australia's domestic T20 competition, for South Australia. On Friday carried that form to the first One-Day Internation against Australia, scoring a quick 48 off 26 deliveries.
Pakistan's senior batsman and former captain Shoaib Malik has said maverick all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the best person to replace Misbah-ul-Haq as skipper for next year's World Cup.
Chris Gayle will replace Shahid Afridi in the ICC World XI line-up for the second Super series ODI
Under fire for his negative remarks against India, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi tried to thaw the issue by saying India is lucky to have a 'stable' captain like Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Shahid Afridi is all set to become the first Pakistani to play in South Africa's domestic Twenty20 tournament as a deal with Nashua Dolphins for next year has been finalised.
Flamboyant allrounder Shahid Afridi has called on the Pakistanis to support and pray for the success of the national team in the ICC T20 World Cup, to be held later this month in Sri Lanka.
The national selection committee on Tuesday, as expected, axed experienced all-rounder Shahid Afridi and batsman Umar Akmal for the ICC Champions Trophy in England in June.
'Don't worry, will sort it out son'
Shahid Afridi and the Akmal brothers could be fined millions, while former captain Shoaib Malik faces a one-year ban if the Pakistan Cricket Board implements the recommendations of an inquiry committee probing the team's disastrous tour of Australia.
Pakistan's World Cup aspirations lie firmly on the shoulders of skipper Shahid Afridi and once again he came to the rescue as an unthinkable defeat to Canada on Thursday was averted in an eventual 46-run win.
Revealing the secret of his sizzling form in the just-concluded Twenty20 World Cup, Pakistan's flamboyant all rounder Shahid Afridi has said giving respect to bowlers helped him to be among the runs in England.
The 25-year-old said he now wants to establish himself as a permanent member of Pakistan's Test squad.
Former Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi has said that his country are failing to produce fine cricketers while highlighting the immediate need to focus on quality rather than quantity to turn the things around for themselves. The 36-year-old observed that there are more of first-class cricketers in the squad in contrast to his early cricketing days when a break at this level was a difficult task, the Dawn reported. Pinpointing the lack of cricket at the grassroots level as the reason behind Pakistan's downfall, Afridi expressed his desire to open cricketing academies for young talent in the country.
Rohit Sharma notched up another milestone in his career as he became only the second opener to go past the landmark of 300 sixes in One-Day Internationals.
Pakistan's first sports film 'Main Hoon Afridi' is all set for release on Eid.
His team is the surprise of the tournament thus far. And no one is more content than Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi.
Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi says he has gotten over the anger and hurt he felt at being "snubbed" in the Indian Premier League auction and is open to playing the Twenty20 event in future.
Pakistan's flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi has signed a contract with Hampshire to play in the 2010 English T20 championship. He said he signed the deal with for a year because of the big Pakistani community in the United Kingdom.
Flamboyant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Thursday said he would want to prepare himself for the 2011 World Cup by skipping Test cricket until that mega event in the sub-continent.
Flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi who guided Pakistan to glory in the Twenty20 World Cup in England may soon receive an offer to play in Sheffield Shield for the Australian domestic side New South Wales.
Former Pakistan Test coach Waqar Younis has advised flamboyant allrounder Shahid Afridi to keep his mouth shut and focus on performing well as a cricketer.
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi is looking forward to play against India in the Champions Trophy in South Africa where his side had not beaten their neighbours in an ICC tournament in recent years.
The Twenty20 world champions tag has put a lot of pressure on the Pakistan cricket team ahead of next month's Champions Trophy in South Africa, vice-captain Shahid Afridi has said.
Yasir Shah promoted, Shoaib Malik retained in top category
Shahid Afridi has said that the Indian Premier League (IPL) fiasco could have been avoided had the T20 league organisers and franchises restrained themselves from allowing politics to influence their decision.
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