Shahid Afridi reminisces about time when his father accepted his cricketing dream

Pakistan cricket superstar and former captain Shahid Afridi has revealed how his father allowed him to pursue his passion for cricket, albeit being a strong critic in the beginning.

"When I first started playing cricket, things were a bit difficult for me. My father was against my playing cricket and I was scolded and beaten quite a lot," he said, in a video message on social media.

However, this changed when his father read about his first stellar performance in an under-16 tournament, where he was praised by a news reporter after taking five wickets in the match.

"My father saw my photo and read the praise written about me. I saw the look of joy on my father's face and was comforted knowing that my family will finally support my dream to play cricket. I realised this was the time to prove myself. It was a big change in my life," added Afridi.

When my father read about my first star performance in U-16 I realised I was #MoreThanMyMarks. Thanks @ZindagiTrust for taking me back - follow #MoreThanMyMarks for more stories of young Pakistanis pursuing their passions! pic.twitter.com/oh95yRrTVm

— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) 5 April 2019

And that was a beginning of one of the most storied cricketing careers, as Afridi became one of the leading names of the game, known for his aggressive hitting and wicket-taking ability.