'I even wore cricket pads in bed': How Pakistan's Shaheen rose to greatness

As a young boy in a family of seven cricket-mad brothers, Pakistan pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi immersed himself in the sport -- even when sleeping.

"I used to come home after training and he would take my pads and somehow wear them to bed," said elder brother Riaz, a decent player himself with one Test cap to his name.

"He would place the stumps next to his pillow and dream of playing," he told AFP.

Pakistan's hopes of winning the World Cup in India will rely heavily on the lanky 23-year-old Shaheen turning those dreams into reality.

The team were recently deposed as the world's top-ranked ODI side by India, and a less-than-stellar performance in the recent rain-hit Asia Cup won by their bitter cross-border rivals has some fans questioning the side's commitment and ability.

Nobody can doubt Shaheen's devotion to the sport, however.

ALSO READ:

• Exclusive: Pakistan's 'Chacha Cricket' appeals for visa to watch World Cup in India

• Watch: Screaming Indian fans greet Pakistan cricket team with cheers and chants for 'Azam bhai'

• Cricket World Cup 2023: How Pakistan can challenge India in Ahmedabad

Hailing from Landi Kotal -- a town near the Afghan border with a notorious reputation for smugglers and drug traffickers in Pakistan's rugged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province -- Shaheen dedicated himself to cricket as soon as he could hold a bat.

"His commitment to playing was matched only by his dedication to watching matches," Riaz said.

"His mood would sour if Pakistan lost a match, and things would only return to normal when Pakistan won, or if he performed well himself on the field."

He is now one of the most feared opening bowlers in any form of the game.

"In my early days, I used to throw the ball in school games instead of bowling it," Shaheen recalled.

"Riaz bhai taught me to bowl properly, and encouraged me to bowl fast."

An early breakthrough came in 2015 when he attended a trial to join a regional Under-15 team.

His towering height and rapid action caught the selectors' attention, and it took just two deliveries for them to recognise his talent.