Shahid Afridi looks to go out with a boom in New Zealand farewell
Boom Boom has left the building.
Or at least Shahid Afridi will, on Friday night at Wellington's Westpac Stadium in his final international cricket match on New Zealand soil.
Pakistan's colourful Twenty20 captain, who turns 36 on March 1, effectively confirmed the third and deciding T20 will be his last international on our shores, having first donned the green strip in New Zealand in February 2001.
Not part of the Pakistan one-day international set-up, the player who T20 cricket was almost tailor-made for was excited about one final fling under the Wellington lights and the chance to lead his team to a 2-1 series victory.
Obviously my performance is always playing a major role in the team and I am focusing on my performance with bat and ball. Maybe this will be my last tour and I want to finish it with some good bowling and good batting," he said.
It's 20 years in October since his international debut. In his second ODI, against Sri Lanka at Kenya's Nairobi Gymkhana in 1996, he made the cricket world sit bolt upright with an innings of 102 off 40 balls including 11 sixes.
He's been a regular foe for the Black Caps and even opened the batting in a test against them, their last on Pakistan soil at Lahore in 2002. In Hamilton last Sunday he padded up for his 500th international innings, having been man of the match in Pakistan's win in Auckland in an influential all-round display. His trademark arms-extended, look-to-the-skies celebration got a regular airing.
Now the bludgeoning middle order batsman and legspinner is trying to mastermind a world title for his team in the World T20 in India in March when they'll face the Black Caps in group play. On current form with one of the best balanced bowling lineups and plenty of spin options they look very tough to beat
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