Sahibzada Mohammad Shahid Khan Afridi, 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  and his Test debut on 22 October 1998 against Australia at Karachi.

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. 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.

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 batsman, which is very rare for a spin bowler.

Hyderabad team has enrolled some of the most powerful rocket launchers of cricket world like Gilchrist, Gibbs, Symonds and last but not the least Shahid Afridi. He has been paid Rs 2.6 cr ($675,000). In the first edition of the IPL, Afridi scored 81 runs in his 9 innings in the middle, with a highest score of 33, at an average of 10.12 and a strike rate of 176.09. He smashed 6 sixes and 7 fours in the tournament, in addition to 4 catches. He took 9 wickets in the tournament, in the 10 matches that he played, with a best of 3/28 at an average of 24.67, with an economy rate of 7.7 and a strike rate of 19.22.

Afridi missed IPL-II because no Pakistani players were allowed to take part in the tournament.