Global T20 Canada 2018: 5 players to watch out for

Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi bid farewell to international cricket after playing for ICC World XI against WI

Pakistan's evergreen (excuse the pun) all-rounder has been one of the most enigmatic players that the game has ever produced. Once the holder of the record for the fastest limited-overs 100, he also holds the record for the most sixes in ODIs, most overall ducks and interestingly, the most retirements in his career. If there's a player that has drawn crowds just through explosive batting, it has to be this man - so much that his famous nickname "Boom Boom" - was more popular than his own name at one point.

Afridi believes that he is a better bowler than a batsman, and his tally of 493 limited-over-internationals wickets wouldn't say otherwise. With around 9,500 limited-over-international runs as well, Afridi was a very good all-rounder of the sport. His penchant for hitting loose shots without thinking has resulted in several premature dismissals throughout his career, which has restrained his batting numbers from looking better.

Afridi represented the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and had featured for the Dhaka Dynamites in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) until recently. His style suits T20 cricket and was unsurprisingly named one of the marquee players in the GT20 Canada. He will play for Edmonton Royals coached by Mohammad Akram, along with the likes of Chris Lynn and Wayne Parnell.

After the game played between ICC World XI and the Windies, Afridi who played for the World XI announced his retirement from international cricket (this was his fifth time doing it). The new T20 league is an ideal venue for him to prove that there is some cricket still left in him, as he plays alongside and against some big names.