YK was from KPK but lived in Karachi, so was Afridi. Although YK learned a lot about batting from culture of Karachi, but Afridi had no effect on him
I don't think its about following heros alone. Our bowlers are lot more popular than batsmen, simply they are/were world class, we had mostly produced tier 2 batsmen at international level. Where as bowlers (fast or spin) were tier 1, generation defining at time, changing the game altogether, Wasim's left arm skills created a genera of bowling that was not that popular in 120 years of test cricket, now we see every team try to have one in all formats at all levels...Reverse swing is another such example. In Spin Qadar's leg spin variety, again define new age of leg spinners, Saqi invented Doosra, I redefine finger spinner in modern time...
Maybe culturally Karachite cricket is about batting, I cannot comment since I have not lived there. But in North(Punjab and KPK), cricket mojo is about fast bowling, that's what tier1 athletes try to do, its a macho thing, its a statement thing too, in villages, mallahas and cities alike. Other thing that was popular is hitting big sixes, that's what tap ball cricket does to you... Northern Cricketing culture was influenced a lot by tap ball, where pace and power are good skills to have. I have seen some variety Bowlers become more successful but they get less praise from top tier pace bowlers.
Batsmen from Karachi in general have more grit, patient and well suited for longer format, well from the time of Hanif... This whole notion of Karachi producing better batsmen and Lahore bowlers, started from the time of Hanif and Fazal, both were great at there art. Hanif's family had influence on Karachi and Pakistan Cricket for next 2/3 decades, his brothers and then son played for Pakistan...People from North are more hot headed, that helps in bowling but not that much in batting...
Now many cricketers have come from different areas. Shoiab and Amir are from Rawalpindi, although its Punjab, its not the same as from Lahore. Shoiab faced lot of discrimination and push back because he was from a new town, plus Wasim and Waqar were threaten by him, his debute was 2/3 years late, he should have been in the team back in 1995, we (in Pindi) knew about him since that time. I remember back in 1993/94, there was lot of chatter about a local bowler, who bowls even faster than Waqar, at first we laughed, then when we saw him bowling (locally), we were amazed by his action and pace, he was actually faster then Waqar(even at his peak)....In Pindi/ISB, KRL was big reason we were able to produce and still produce so many cricketers, Azhar, Shadab, Hasan(apart from Shoiab and Amir) all have played in the ECO system of KRL, and many more who did not become big players.
I guess in early days inorder to horn your skills, you have to go to Karachi or Lahore, there were not many opportunities. That is still the case in many ways, but in past most people did not travel, but now its easy to go to those places. YK, Fakir, Umar Gul, Yasir, Afridi, Junaid Khan etc are all from KPK but developed in Lahore or Karachi circuits.
You also cannot ignore the genetics and physical advantages of different areas. Lower center of gravity is helpful in batting and hot headedness in bowling. North in general are going to produce better bowlers. Same reason I believe Afghanistan will be producing better fast bowlers than BD in few years (if they are not doing it already), they will develop at fast pace than BD if economy and law & order did not tank. KPK can go on par with Punjab in producing fast bowlers, if there are big cities there, right now its only Peshawar and Cricket was not that well know till 80s, after Imran Khan it become popular in KPK, for long period of time Soccer was more popular in KPK, FATA and Baluchistan.
) etc
. Even in batting, Mohammad brothers are from Junaghar, Zaheer from Shialkot, YK from KPK, Asif Iqbal from Hyderabad Deccan - and most of them have migrated after becoming cricketers, not like they have learned cricket in Karachi; even Javed is actually Gujrati. 
