‘Afridi should have been included for the India tour’
Shahid Afridi. -Photo by AP
KARACHI: There was a time when Shahid Afridi’s name would have been the first on Pakistan’s one-day international teamsheet, but the all-rounder’s future looks uncertain after he was dropped for this month’s series against arch-rivals India.
The 32-year-old has endured a dreadful run of form, scoring just 85 runs in his last 10 ODI innings, prompting selectors to axe him from the 15-man squad for the three-game series starting later this month.
While Afridi has retained his spot for the two Twenty20 matches, the warning bells are ringing for the man whose dismissal has often emptied the stands in the past.
In his 349 ODIs Afridi has taken 348 wickets and scored 7,075 runs – at an electric strike rate of nearly 114 runs per 100 balls – but he has not scored a half-century in his last 10 innings, a slump former England great Geoffrey Boycott has called embarrassing.
“Pakistan have lost out with his batting deteriorating so badly,” Boycott told the ESPN Cricinfo website recently.
“In the early days when he was playing and batting well, he tended to believe his own publicity. People wanted him to hit big sixes, everybody was raving for him, and he kept trying to oblige.”
But former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif insisted Afridi, Pakistan’s third most-capped one-day player of all time, could still make a comeback.
“Afridi is facing tough times. Even a player like Ricky Ponting had to quit after he failed to score big,” said Latif of the former Australian captain who retired earlier this month.
“But Pakistan is different in the way that a player can stage a comeback after a good performance and Afridi can still do so.”
Another former captain, Moin Khan, described Afridi’s axing as unjust.
“Afridi is an impact player,” said Khan. “He holds a psychological dominance over India so he should have been included.”
But on the street, ordinary fans are fast losing patience with their one-time hero.
“It’s time to move on,” said Athar Khan, a student in Karachi. “Afridi’s form has not been up to the mark and it is common that every rise has a fall, he rose to fame and now he is losing it.”
Afridi burst onto the international stage in 1996 when aged just 16 he smashed a 37-ball century — still an ODI record — against Sri Lanka in only his second match, and his explosive batting style earned him the nickname “Boom Boom”.
The shortest form of the game brought more fame for Afridi as he starred in Pakistan’s World Twenty20 triumph in England in 2009, helping the team with both bat and ball.
The performance elevated him to the captaincy the following year and he led Pakistan to the semi-final of the 2011 World Cup but differences with coach Waqar Younis and then Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt almost ended his career prematurely.
His form suffered and at this year’s T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in September-October he was a shadow of the player he once was, scratching and groping for runs where once he smashed the ball to all corners.
Afridi admitted he was not up to expectations but vowed to fight on.
“I am disappointed at not being able to live up to the expectations but every cricketer goes through such a time. I am not one to run away from challenges as I am a fighter and I will come back,” Afridi said in October.
Despite all the disappointments and frustrations of the past few years, there are still some in Pakistan who believe – or at least hope – he can manage one last stand.
It has been over due , Afridi should have already been retired. Afridi has never controlled his emotions and his non stop brain farts are the reason he never justified his talent. He never played for the team and only for the gallery because if he ever did, he would have been responsible with his shots. Jaisurya or Sehwag, they all matured with time. Aside from Afridi , its baffling how Kamran Akmal and Imran Farhat keep getting selected. Things Kamran Akmal has done behind the stumps. He should be banned for life for playing for Pakistan .
If players like shoaib malik,kamran akmal and Imran farhat included without any performance, pakistan cricket will always be going back rather than forward. It’s to see player like Abdul Razzaq and MUHAMMED yOUSAF ignored due to politics due to there background. Even the international t20 leagues are willing to hire or pay higher prices than the above mentioned cheap sifarshi players. I think without Abdul Razzaq they lost T20 world cup semifinal and now they will loose badly against India because they don’t have world class match finisher in the team. Secondly they don’t have player who could bat 20 over and score runs.
I wish allah will do justice to this talented Abdul Razzaq
Afridi served his country lots of time. But he is not a perfect(ideal) cricketer. Nowadays his performance is downward. I think chance should be given more to the youngers. After all we can’t deny him anyway.
Shahid Afridi is not a cricket player.He plays politics in the sports and beside look at his performance lately even my little kid can play a better cricket than him.Keep him out of the team I bet you will see much better team in the near future.
You can see what people are saying about Sachin in India, after his recent worst performances. Is Afridi a better player than him or did he do more for Pakistan as compared to what Sachin did for India…. we need to be realistic, Afridi cashed his few good innings more than anybody else in the cricket world. If PCB gives similar chances to any average club level cricketer he would end up with better record than Afridi. He was never a batsman – just a ball hitter (like tail-enders, no batting technique), though lately developed some good bowling skill.
Afridi is history. He was never a class, he was just an entertainer. When you talk about class, there are other examples in the same neighbourhood and in the same role like that of Afridi, I am refering to Shakib and the legendary Jayasurya. Afridi should take some lessons from them. He has ruined his 16 years career and the administrators have done rest of the job. Afridi is still confused on what his role should be and what role is of more value to the team. He was better off as a batsman when he was batting along Saeed Anwar and being coached by Miandad.
What extraordinary he has done for the cricket? Always out on 2nd or 3rd ball. 2-3 wickets in bowling.
Please give chances to genuine merit based players
We do not wish to have anything to do with the Pakistanis, be it sport or film or anything else. We would like our world closed to all Pakistanis.
We believe Pakistanis would not think twice to do any harm to us as their heart is filled with nothing but hatred. Please leave us alone. And if any sane person from that part of the world reads this, please do not come to India. We simply do not want you with us.
Shocking e mail my friend. Perhaps you should go and live in a cave by your self!
Typical concept of Pakistanis; cricket is a teamwork effort and thus requires continuous best practises on/off field. It is a common false perception amongst our Nation to hope victories through individuals.
Afridi is a lone wolf and on the whole lacks the ability to perform effectively within a team. He can best be described as a wild card that is used to entertain the crowd. Therefore his place in the team is assured as long as he is able to entertain and the Pakistani team is able to win some matches.
afridi is a bowling allrounder,,, he usually comes in to bat when 6 of ur so called “top” batsmen are back in the pavilion before scoring 150,,,, accept the fact we are expecting way tooo much from a genuine leg spinner who can sometimes put in contributions with the bat. U need to improve ur batting find replacements for ur top order,,, NOT for the one who comes in to bat at 6 or 7,,,, this is equivalent to “openers nahi chal rahai, Aizaz cheema ko drop kr do”,,, No logic whatsoever for the current ODI team.
afridi is a pathetic one day player avergae just 22 in more than 340 ODI, please forGod sake let him b thrown out. There are many better players waiting in youngsters. take them as players not as greatest national heros like jinnah who cannot be replaceabale.
Pakistan should make Afridi as a batter only not a bowler like before he opened the batting, the more the team depend on one player the more the pressure growns on his also he should look at his videos to regain his batting back
He has served well, his team and country we except way too much from our heros. He has made us proud and has been outstanding by any standard of the short game. Wish him well if he does not come back, welcome him if plays once again.
Afridi please retire gracefully like Imran khan.
More than 90% of the time, his bad performance is due to lack of application. He can be more consistent if he applies himself. Afridi is a very selfish player so he will play well when his career is at stake. He played responsibly as long as he was the captain of the team.
I agree with you.
we should also keep in mind the edge Indians hold against Afridi’s spin… always taking him to the cleaners
Why Imran Farhat is in the team? For what reason Asad Shafiq is not included in the team? I was a optimist up to date but these selectors made me think that there is always a conspiracy against Karachi Players. Shame on you selectors. Get Anwar Ali out of the team and name This pakistan team as Punjabistan
He needs to improve his form,given enough chance,not good enough for highest level of cricket.Time for to pass on and provide others with opportunity.Hammad Azam and many other new guys have been waiting in wings.
But Afridi may not want to come to India. Since ‘Hinduwon ka Dil bada nahi hota”
Unfortunately all people commenting are biased against or towards afridi. One should be unbiased, clear head, knowledgeable and know cricket before putting a comment.
I think this is a good step. Players not performing should be excluded. Giving new players chance will threat Afridi to perfrom well in future.
people love him for his entertainment value but his game is clearly not anywhere good anymore therefore time to go or at least rest. but knowing Pakistani players past history he will try to hang on and make a comeback.
Letting go with dignity and on own terms is not much known around here.
psychological dominance, wow! so this should be the basis of selection in a national team??