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The stage was set for Shahid Afridi.
Pakistan were 225/5 in 41.2 overs, chasing a mammoth 327 against an animated Bangladesh side in Mirpur at the 2014 Asia Cup.
The equation required single-mindedness; not that it has ever mattered to Afridi. But it was the kind of scenario a warrior relishes: victory or death.
Thirty-four minutes was all it took, as Afridi smashed the then second fastest one-day half-century to give Pakistan a thrilling three-wicket win and leave the brave opponents in tears.
The 34-year-old, who hit two consecutive sixes to give Pakistan a one-wicket win over India before that match, was once again his team's saviour as they chased down their highest-ever target of 327 in 49.5 overs.
Afridi overshadowed a brilliant 123-ball 103 by opener Ahmed Shehzad and a sedate 74 by Fawad Alam who both set the tone for the chase.
It was madness, an absolute steal.
Andy Bull described that 'Afridi state of mind' aptly in one his pieces in 2010:
Reckless, irresponsible, idiotic, there is not another player in the game who is as much fun to watch. He is a proper swashbuckler, a cricketer who, as I wrote last year, bowls leg-spin with the cunning of Cardinal Richelieu and bats with the foolhardy panache of all three Musketeers rolled into one.
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Comments (38) Closed
Apr 13, 2015 02:54pm
Afridi, you beauty.......! in Ramiz's voice
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Apr 13, 2015 02:54pm
AGREED!!! He was one player I have enjoyed watching..
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Apr 13, 2015 02:59pm
Whosoever critices Shahid Khan Afridi (legend) I always say that I watch the game of cricket due to the presence of Afridi and the reason is well known to all. No one player in the world of cricket is so thretning as Afridi and he proved his excellance number of time. Our commentators especially Ramiz Raja ever criticesed him for what I do not know. He ever blamed Afridi for every lose and not to remaining 10 players. I still say that Afridi may be asked to take back the decision of retirement from One day Cricket as he can still play for further 5 years.
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Apr 13, 2015 03:23pm
while talking of matches he has won with his heroics, you should also consider match which he should have won with just a sensible batting and team lost because of careless batting
also check this Batting Avg of less then 25 and less then one wicket per match for a carrier span more the 15 years is an gross under achievement and guy is a national Hero
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Apr 13, 2015 03:23pm
the potential and talent he got is praise worthy.But his unpatience habit while batting ruin all of his talent.
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Apr 13, 2015 03:25pm
There is a big difference in aggression and madness....I do agreed with writer's termed in his article " Afridi's madness".
It is the "madness" that we lost in world cup due to a pathetic batting and fielding.
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Apr 13, 2015 03:26pm
Thank u Afridi. For both saving matches and retiring finally
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Apr 13, 2015 03:26pm
Ahmed Shahzad performed then. He has grown arrogant.
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Apr 13, 2015 03:28pm
Aftidi, Sir you win our hearts
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Apr 13, 2015 03:35pm
Afridi has always been a treat to watch... !!
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Apr 13, 2015 03:37pm
Nostalgia will hit us hard when he hangs up his bat...........even his most diehard critics will talk about his exploits on the field including such classics as biting the cherry and the Twist on the pitch. We will always love you Afridi.
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Apr 13, 2015 03:54pm
So glad he is retired ... a ratio of 25 to 250 ... won 25 matches for us and cost us 250 matches with irresponsible performance.
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Apr 13, 2015 04:04pm
Afridi, you beauty.
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Apr 13, 2015 04:07pm
We can commiserate with each other by talking about the selected past actions. The fact is that he has was a mediocre player who would fail most of the times. BUT whenever he delivered, people started he was one of the greatest. I think the definition of Great should be changed as "unpredictable". Even when we say "unpredictable ", there is still a 40-50% chance. BUT for Afridi's unprecitableness, the chance goes further down to 5 or 10.
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Apr 13, 2015 05:12pm
A cricket legend without mind but with a fortune...
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Apr 13, 2015 06:27pm
Afridi is one of the best miracle,cricket world has ever produced.The only reason why he is like that because he plays nature game.
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Apr 13, 2015 06:51pm
a player who kept out one batsman and one bowler all the time and cost us dearly for more or less 280+ ODIs we lost because of Afridi ....
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Apr 13, 2015 07:29pm
The man who made cricket entertaining .
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Apr 13, 2015 08:12pm
Not sure, why is so great, when he delivers in 1 match out of 50 with Bat.
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Apr 13, 2015 09:12pm
Afridi fails 9 times, and succeeds once. It is good that he has gone now from both tests and ODIs. PCB did not manage his limited skills well. He is a bowler, and can bat reasonably not to go above position 6 generally. But he was going in the top batting positions where he regularly failed. And Bangladesh is no Australia, by the way!
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Apr 13, 2015 09:27pm
i think supporters are more influenced by his looks & his 'pathan aura'..rather than his game
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Apr 13, 2015 09:27pm
Afridi's madness". It is the "madness" that we lost in world cup due to a pathetic batting and fielding. His time is over, have to retire honorable and give chance to young captain, Afridi pls do not play politics and vacant seat and work in Adv field.
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Apr 13, 2015 10:14pm
Kohli's madness made India chase 336 total by Sri-lanka in just 36 Overs ;-)
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Apr 13, 2015 10:28pm
Alas, Afridi haters tend to forget his heroics all the time.
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Apr 13, 2015 10:31pm
A flash in the pan, extremely rare. He is a trill to watch when he is in his element but look at his overall ODI record. Do we value responsible consistency or an occasional performance? What does Afridi has to show in 7 world cup matches that he recently played? I am glad he has retired from ODI and T20 retirement is around the corner, I hope.
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Apr 13, 2015 11:27pm
Andy Bull's summed up real good when he said "Reckless, irresponsible, idiotic, there is not another player in the game who is as much fun to watch......."This is the best. Lately, he had given nothing but series of disappointment.
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Apr 14, 2015 01:02am
He won more man of the matches then any other player.
One player can not always win you all the matches, look at Tendulkar he never won so many match
Rember when Waquar was captain he did't get Afarid to bowl in a lot of matches.
How many catches did our wicket keeper, and our fielders dropped during the time he played.
Yes if he used his head he could have scored more runs.
You will not find another AFRIDI.
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Apr 14, 2015 03:15am
@Krat
I agree , had he played more responsibly , selecting and discriminating each balls according to its merit he wouldn't had to resign from one day 50 overs matches. His style of batting requires luck and sometimes weak fielding side. If both of these is working in his favour he may go on to make tons or else he succumbs to few unwarranted shots. This unpredictability had been the hallmarks of Afridi's cricket career.
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Apr 14, 2015 03:48am
He was one of a kind. Although he has a record that not many all-rounders in the game can boast of, but with a little bit of more patience and application, he could have been even better. I wish he had played more test cricket. He would be remembered for his contribution for the game nonetheless and his services for Pakistan, the player who won the most MoM awards for the country.
Thank you for the memories Lala.
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Apr 14, 2015 04:56am
Afridi is microcosm of the Pakistan State. The country and its people blessed with talent and potentials to become great and realize brilliance but due to lack of discipline & mind set is a gross under achiever. Even then there is no ambition or correct objectives to critique it. Afrid thinks he has done great and couldn't do better than this so is this nation who is satisfied with its collective under achievement.
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Apr 14, 2015 05:12am
@Sandeep Singh I witness Kohli's madness live in SCG in semi final when it mattered most for his team
Stay out of here trolls
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Apr 14, 2015 08:43am
Afridi is history now. Please see him in the buble gum advertisements
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Apr 14, 2015 08:07pm
Awesome!!!! Truly a LEGEND!!!
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Apr 15, 2015 12:34am
One can perform in any manner in any sports provided to love the game
and keep yourself physically fit.Popularity and performance are two
different things.Afridi or any one unless physically fit will not be able to entertain the crowd unless he is physically fit and loves the game.
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Apr 19, 2015 10:28am
It was good while it lasted.
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Apr 19, 2015 04:39pm
Afridi was an excellent player ,winning or losing is the other side of the coin.If a player is always judged by winning then it is not justice with him. In both the countries i.e. India and Pakistan if the team win every body will start praising and in the event of losing even the rikshawala and tongawala will start using unparliamentary language against the team. All of us must develop a culture to appreciate the good one and give positive and good suggestions for improvement in the event of loss. Saying any thing to Shahid Afridi after his retirement is unjustifiable not to him alone but to cricket as well. I am an Indian I have got every praise to this player who made several records during his tenure. May God bless him very prosperous and happy life.
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Apr 20, 2015 12:36pm
Afridi is not only Pakistani but a global entertainer of cricketing world. The big fact that he is criticized by Pakistanis in every match that they lose, very unfair. He won us matches sigle handedly from a losing end with no other team-mate contributions with his bowling & batting. The people who ever criticized Afridi are just bunch of fools & desperates. Now let us see without Afridi & Misbah Pakistan cannot even win from Bangladesh & Zimbabwe!
So just respect our senior players & y not when whole world is praising their greatness & just fool Pakistanis are in opposing end!
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Feb 26, 2016 12:33pm
Shahid Afridi - Purely a great talent. No question about it.
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