Shahid Afridi receives Pakistan’s Hilal-e-Imtiaz award for his services to cricket and contribution to sports.

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has been awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s second-highest civilian honour, in recognition of his contributions to cricket and sports.

President Asif Ali Zardari conferred the award on Afridi during a ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday. The former all-rounder was recognised for his role in Pakistan’s historic 2009 ICC T20 World Cup victory and his overall contribution to the sport.

Afridi said receiving the honour from the president was a proud moment for him and dedicated the award to the people of Pakistan and the country’s martyrs.

The former captain thanked fans for their support throughout his cricket career, saying the recognition reflected the public’s love and encouragement over the years.

Afridi’s cricket career

The 46-year-old represented Pakistan across all formats and remained one of the country’s most recognisable cricketers. He played 398 One Day Internationals, scoring 8,064 runs and taking 395 wickets.

In T20 Internationals, Afridi featured in 99 matches, scoring 1,416 runs and claiming 98 wickets.

He was also part of several franchise leagues around the world, including the Pakistan Super League, Big Bash League, Caribbean Premier League and Indian Premier League.

Afridi played a key role in Pakistan’s 2009 ICC World Twenty20 triumph against Sri Lanka, scoring an unbeaten 54 runs in the final and taking one wicket to help secure the title.