<p>The 31-year-old hit a fighting 75 to lift Pakistan from a precarious 120-7 to 200 before taking 5-35 to derail Sri Lanka from 155-3 to 174 all out at Sharjah stadium on Sunday, giving his team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.<br /><br />That allround performance capped Afridi's return to international cricket after he fell out with former coach Waqar Younis and ex-chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt which saw him retire in protest.<br /><br />Afridi, who only returned after Butt was replaced by Zaka Ashraf last month, said performing well is now more important for him.<br /><br />"I think action speaks louder than words, a lot has been said but now I want to be a good cricketer and want to perform," said Afridi, who became the only player to score a half-century and take five wickets in the same one-day on two occasions.<br /><br />His off-field problems had threatened an early finish to a high flying career during which he had been popular for his dashing strokeplay, more so among Pathans who hail from the same North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan as Afridi does.<br /><br />Afridi rose to fame in his first series in 1997, hitting a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in Kenya -- still a world record for the fastest one-day hundred.<br />He also holds the record for hitting most one-day sixes with 293 -- a stroke which fans always want from Afridi.<br /><br />And a packed 16,000 crowd, mostly Pathan expats in United Arab Emirates, was at hand to applaud every stroke Afridi played during his 65-ball knock, studded with four boundaries and three towering sixes.<br /><br />"When you have a good atmosphere around you, then you try your best to deliver and I am overjoyed by the support in Sharjah where they cheered my singles so I was happy to put my head down initially," said Afridi.<br />Afridi said he is happy to support his captain Misbah-ul Haq.<br /><br />"The way Misbah is leading, its great and the management is very good and when I was the captain Misbah was very helpful so I need to support him now he is the captain," said <br />Afridi of Misbah who replaced him in June this year.<br /><br />Afridi said as a senior player he wanted to be a role model.<br /><br />"I want seniors to take more responsibility because I don't want youngsters to be told in every meeting that they must improve, so I want to set some expmples for the new players," said Afridi.<br /><br />The fifth and final match is in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Pakistan and Sri Lanka alo play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on Friday.</p>
<p>The 31-year-old hit a fighting 75 to lift Pakistan from a precarious 120-7 to 200 before taking 5-35 to derail Sri Lanka from 155-3 to 174 all out at Sharjah stadium on Sunday, giving his team an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.<br /><br />That allround performance capped Afridi's return to international cricket after he fell out with former coach Waqar Younis and ex-chairman Pakistan Cricket Board Ijaz Butt which saw him retire in protest.<br /><br />Afridi, who only returned after Butt was replaced by Zaka Ashraf last month, said performing well is now more important for him.<br /><br />"I think action speaks louder than words, a lot has been said but now I want to be a good cricketer and want to perform," said Afridi, who became the only player to score a half-century and take five wickets in the same one-day on two occasions.<br /><br />His off-field problems had threatened an early finish to a high flying career during which he had been popular for his dashing strokeplay, more so among Pathans who hail from the same North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan as Afridi does.<br /><br />Afridi rose to fame in his first series in 1997, hitting a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in Kenya -- still a world record for the fastest one-day hundred.<br />He also holds the record for hitting most one-day sixes with 293 -- a stroke which fans always want from Afridi.<br /><br />And a packed 16,000 crowd, mostly Pathan expats in United Arab Emirates, was at hand to applaud every stroke Afridi played during his 65-ball knock, studded with four boundaries and three towering sixes.<br /><br />"When you have a good atmosphere around you, then you try your best to deliver and I am overjoyed by the support in Sharjah where they cheered my singles so I was happy to put my head down initially," said Afridi.<br />Afridi said he is happy to support his captain Misbah-ul Haq.<br /><br />"The way Misbah is leading, its great and the management is very good and when I was the captain Misbah was very helpful so I need to support him now he is the captain," said <br />Afridi of Misbah who replaced him in June this year.<br /><br />Afridi said as a senior player he wanted to be a role model.<br /><br />"I want seniors to take more responsibility because I don't want youngsters to be told in every meeting that they must improve, so I want to set some expmples for the new players," said Afridi.<br /><br />The fifth and final match is in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Pakistan and Sri Lanka alo play a Twenty20 in Abu Dhabi on Friday.</p>