Shahid Afridi leads from the front ... !!

Shahid Afridi has proven that he leads from the front, as he has done brilliantly in the World Cup. He was the leading wicket taker during the mega event by picking 21 wickets.

In spite of losing the crunch match against India by 29 runs in the semi final, the way he has performed his duties to combine the team which was facing number of controversies, is exceptional. This impressive captaincy by Afridi has provided  new hope to the shattered Pakistani side, as team Pakistan has started believing in themselves. Therefore, Afridi received a welcoming and positive response from the nation on his return to Pakistan.

Afridi has gelled Pakistan’s team together which is evident in the body language of the team.

The skipper said after the semi-final, "I am proud of my team and the boys have done a great job in this World Cup. A few of the youngsters are very promising and we played as a unit. Winning and losing is something different but we really played really good cricket and no one was expecting us to play cricket like this. As a captain I'm very happy."

The men in green won six out of the eight matches they played in the World Cup. Pakistan brought down Sri Lanka and Australia in the World Cup round matches. They also defeated West Indies comprehensively in the quarter final.

Afridi led his side positively in the mega tournament. He was playing to win.

Afridi added, "We have played better than those sides [of 2003 and 2007] and they were good sides. We didn't have much hope from this side but I have respect for my team".

The Pakistan Cricket Board handed over the captaincy to Afridi because there was no other choice available at the time. Afridi’s career as a captain started in 2009 in South Africa against West Indies in the Champions Trophy. He has played 29 matches as the One Day International captain. Under his captaincy, Pakistan has 15 victories and one ended in no-result. The 13 losses under his captaincy included some thrilling and exciting matches.

In the World Cup matches, Pakistan played under Afridi’s captaincy and he took 21 wickets in 8 matches. He was the man of the match twice, once each against Sri Lanka and Canada.

Boom Boom also has done a great job by bringing together many senior players  like Shoaib Akthar, Abdul Razzaq and Younis khan, who had not gotten along with the team in the past. Afridi also encouraged the youngsters in the squad which definitely lifted the team spirit and energy.

On paper, Afridi's record as captain is notable with 15 wins and 12 losses in 28 games (and one no-result). Results have been in his favor and apart from these figures; he has gathered the team in the most difficult times. His impact on the team is wonderful. Boom Boom always encourages and motivates the team which makes him such a vital character in Pakistani cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to retain Afridi as skipper of Pakistani side for the upcoming tour of the Caribbean. This is great decision indeed which will help team Pakistan to become a top side.