The biggest predicament for Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi’s list of predicaments runs into the length of pages together. A sleazy opener during his time, he got pushed down the batting order. Maturity with age had been one of his strong points as the stuffed shirts behind the doors of the PCB handed him the captaincy. Unlike Imran Khan or even a Javed Miandad, Afridi wasn’t your regular traditional Pakistani skipper. He shielded his team from encroaching Pakistani journalists and always took responsibility for bad team performances.

In the events leading up to the World Cup, Afridi is at it once again. The way the media and the venue shift was handled was redonkulous, to say the least. As they say, negativity has served no one’s purpose, it is better to focus our attention on his on-field predicaments at the moment.

His form with the bat at the moment has been nothing short of horrendous. His uncontrollable urge to deposit each ball into the stands has gone against him lately. All those 398 ODIs ago, Afridi’s exuberance of youth saw him become a cult hero in Pakistan for his prowess with the bat. The white cricket ball, probably weighing five ounces, found its way into the pavilion with monotonous regularity. Whether it was Lahore or Melbourne or even Lords for that matter, the strokes of Afridi had their genuine effectiveness.

• Afridi has a strike rate of 86 in Tests, only second behind Virender Sehwag (for batsmen)
• Afridi’s strike rate in ODIs and T20Is is 117 and 148 respectively, the highest by a Pakistani batsman.
• He hit the biggest six in international cricket against South Africa at Port Elizabeth. The biggest six landed 156 meters from Afridi with Ryan McLaren the unfortunate bowler.

Crowds with the Pakistani flag painted on their cheeks thronged just to get a glimpse of him wielding his bat like an axe. ‘Boom Boom’ as he came to be known a few years later, was at the peak of his batting. While his all-round abilities were lauded, as they should have, his batting took on a different outlook. Many, however, firmly believe that the mantle of captaincy changed him as a cricketer. For others, it was the same old Afridi who had just taken on an additional role and was out of form. But, there is an uneasy question that crops up as to how one loses form for years together.

Experts and pundits alike have attributed Afridi’s diminishing impact on the game to his age. In a rough generalization, Afridi was very much the same batsman, the same intent and same hunger. Only problem, age was catching up to him, not allowing him to clear the ropes as frequently and effortlessly as he did during his prime.

Pakistani journalists haven’t held back in their criticism following a terrible Asia Cup 2016. Others are questioning Afridi’s ability as a batsman and a leader. The PCB selectors, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to give Afridi another chance. Whether this is make or break, Afridi will leave the sport knowing that he has entertained each and everyone that watched him smack that cricket ball out of the park.

To conclude, cricket coaches always advocate the importance of ‘safe cricket’. For me and perhaps even Shahid Afridi, that is the single biggest piece of rubbish we’ve ever heard. For him, hitting the ball in the air seems safer than just stroking the ball along the ground for fewer runs and on his day, he can make you pay dearly.