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CRICKETER Shahid Afridi’s book has stirred controversy involving past heroes and has brought into question the response of those in authority at crucial moments of our cricketing history.
This is all Pakistan needed as it heads into a series against England followed by a tough World Cup in that country.
Game Changer relives some glorious moments and pays tribute to Karachi cricket. But it also lays bare the internal battles plaguing national cricket; it is quite remarkable how the team, with all the intrigues and disputes, still retains its presence among the top sides of the world.
The account, a partnership between the fearless Shahid Afridi and the book’s author Wajahat Saeed Khan, confirms some old assertions as well as gives new information on the subject.
The most significant episode thrown up by their joint expedition coincidentally relates to an England tour: the infamous Mazhar Majeed affair of 2010. The sportsman emphasises how his tip-off about Majeed’s approach to Pakistani players had failed to move the team’s management.
The aggressive all-rounder’s narrative of the ugly happening paints the Pakistani cricket administration in passive colours, offering an explanation for why the country has been so vulnerable to invasions by match-fixers.
From that painful chapter, Salman Butt emerges as worthy of condemnation, while the harshest judgement is reserved for Narendra Modi and Darrel Hair.
Shahid Afridi, who concedes that the authorities had understated his age when he first started off, is least convincing when he tries to clarify why he couldn’t play to his full potential. He blames it on those who tried to coach him.
He is very clear about his friends and those whom he does not like, with very few anonymous exceptions.
Wasim Akram leads the bunch of friends but another great, Waqar Younis, is placed in the company of those he discards: Shoaib Malik, Aamer Sohail, and indeed, Javed Miandad, who greatly disappointed our protagonist in person after first inspiring his India dream with his famous Sharjah sixer.
Imran Khan is a childhood favourite in an account that doesn’t mind typecasting — frequently referring to DNA and Pathan origins. But then, he is bold enough to say that, while the jury was still out on how fair the 2018 polls were, he thought it was a case of 50-50.
That is perhaps an indication of the independent mind that sets Shahid Afridi apart from the others and makes his call deserving of attention.
Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2019
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Comments (62) Closed
May 05, 2019 07:07am
He missed any reference to eating of ball and pitch tampering
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May 05, 2019 07:13am
Some one should show his career stats. He should be ashamed if he compares the stats of the players he criticized.
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May 05, 2019 08:29am
Afridi was the most over rated player in the history of cricket. He is the symbol of everything that was wrong with our cricket. Indiscipline, coup attempts, etc,
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May 05, 2019 08:41am
Editorial covering a book of a cricketer? Looks like he has good influence in establishment
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May 05, 2019 09:09am
Afridi is rash as ever.Wish he had shown some sobriety which would have helped in his profession as well.
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May 05, 2019 09:35am
A player who defines his country. A player who lied his entire career he was 16 when he debuted and now says he was 21, says a lot about his country also.
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May 05, 2019 09:39am
He is celebrity than a cricketer. Very average cricketer, game changer just like CPEC
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May 05, 2019 10:06am
I never ever consider this person any sane and by virtue of unkown reason he tend to stay quite long in cricket which was unfortunate of pakistan cricket. Person like can do anything and his book is one of those bizzare things he had been. I consider him nothing but dirt to get money and media attention.
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May 05, 2019 10:11am
After this book I believe Afridi really retired from cricket in fifth attempt
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May 05, 2019 10:11am
Let’s be honest. Afridi was not known for his acumen and mental stability. I would let him focus on boom boom bubble gum ads and forget about what he wrote. Someone who doesn’t know that LbW means leg before the wicket after playing professional cricket can’t be taken seriously.
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May 05, 2019 10:36am
As we all know to play under 16 and 19 cricket,it was routine in 70's to 90's cricketers used to adjust their DOB and everyone knew this.Shahid Afridi was lucky that he played cricket from Karachi and was part of the team due to the support from Karachites specially Cricketers and Officials belonging from Karachi.
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May 05, 2019 10:37am
His credibility has some serious question marks - Pakistani cricketer mostly have a hard time to stay out of lime light of "star fever" and this only is one of many examples of how to remain relevant and controversial.
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May 05, 2019 10:39am
Shahid Afridi was a disaster for Pakistan cricket. Players like him would never get selected in national teams of countries like India, Australia and UK. He was disgrace, he destroyed careers of so many talented players. Its a sham for PCB that a third grade player like him not only stayed in team for over 10 years but also attained such a position of power that had enormous influence over the selection of entire team.
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May 05, 2019 10:40am
An average player with 20 something average but bloated ego n view on everyone else rather than himself. It's easy to put everyone down n criticise, it's cheap n free!
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May 05, 2019 11:20am
It is nothing short of bizarre. What has Modi to do with it. Once a cheat always a cheat. Salim Malik ( is the name right ?} paid the price but Mark Smith and Shane Warne were let off.To this day like a gentleman, Malik is maintaining a stoic silence. I admire him, for his cricket and for his gentlemanship.
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May 05, 2019 11:42am
Gambhir already replied that he can help for getting psychiatry treatment for afridi if medical visa is sought by afridi.
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May 05, 2019 11:53am
Another fail marketing stunt, he was a big failure in cricket and now as a narrator. Person who cheated on his age and taken away his younger brother chance out of cricket cannot be pure and honest. A cheater for more than 25 years is always a cheater. Just another move of making fame and money.
Please don't distort Pakistan image further. Please.
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May 05, 2019 11:57am
He is a right person. I personally appreciate his truthfulness. Afridi, akthar, Wasim Akram, inzamam, m Yousuf , Younis Khan ,Razzaq,Hafeez etc deserve appreciation because they were never involved in notorious episodes.
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May 05, 2019 12:04pm
Shahid Afridi is trying to pull-off to politics, but every cricketer is not like Imran Khan -- ergo better to continue with Pantene shampoo ad.
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May 05, 2019 12:05pm
What kind of book is this? Game changer, there is no way Afridi was even close to it. I don’t plan to buy this book, someone who talks about his age not being correct is not a person of principle. Additionally, someone that is putting Pakistan cricket down does not deserve any sympathy. Go Afridi Go!
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May 05, 2019 12:29pm
"while the harshest judgement is reserved for Narendra Modi". Gamechanger and Modi. Sure this guy believes in CPEC and cannot live without India. Modi of all people! He would have also lost a few more fans, for the sake of selling the book and degrading others. Small people in big boots, once upon a time.
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May 05, 2019 12:29pm
If he praises every one, who would read his book? It is not straight forwardness but needs to create controversies to attract people to read his book and realive him.
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May 05, 2019 12:50pm
If nobody in PCB took his information on spot fixing seriously why did he not approach the ICC regarding it.
He could have prevented the shame spot fixing brought to the team and the nation. He was an average player and took advantage of his fame and image, there were any all rounders better than him..one of them was Abdul Razzaq wish he could have played more.
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May 05, 2019 12:59pm
Never was world class. PCB managment is as incomptent as him to make us suffer and watch his failures. After the day he left Pakistan started winning.
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May 05, 2019 01:19pm
Does this book justify an editorial?
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May 05, 2019 01:57pm
We watched cricket only to watch Afridi blast the opponents away. He was the best.
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May 05, 2019 02:46pm
Afridi was a match winner no doubt.
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May 05, 2019 02:53pm
@Sajid Qureshi, you mean head & shoulders
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May 05, 2019 03:05pm
who is he?
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May 05, 2019 03:35pm
He should have refrained from commenting on political matters.
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May 05, 2019 04:18pm
I would rather have no trophy if it is through cheating and disgrace. Well done Afridi to expose the cricket mafia and corrupts.
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May 05, 2019 07:19pm
I would say Afridi for PM, will u ?
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May 05, 2019 08:29pm
An average player, look at his record. Hyped by the media.
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May 05, 2019 09:51pm
This guy may be most fit in hair product ads,
Simply pathetic to the core otherwise
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May 05, 2019 10:40pm
Why would someone or anyone be interested in reading a book by him?
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May 05, 2019 10:57pm
A sporadic player with little impact on positive outcome. Just sensational and overrated.
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May 05, 2019 11:34pm
@waleed, well said.
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May 05, 2019 11:37pm
@Rao, Correct.
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May 05, 2019 11:55pm
@Anonymouseeeee,
If you are considering his success rate as the factor for being a match winner then he would rank 11th in the team by that logic
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May 06, 2019 12:00am
1. "Cricket is not cricket without Shahid Afridi" Micheal Holding.
2. knowledge speaks but wisdom listens.
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May 06, 2019 01:17am
Hi afride
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May 06, 2019 01:26am
For a person who cannot add we should take everything with a pinch of salt
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May 06, 2019 03:48am
@Hawkeye, i am surprised at your including some in the CLEAN camp.
Wasim Akram for those who know was one of the most corrupt player. he was also identified as such by the Justice Qayyum report
He was also responsible for maneuvering so that Waqar younis did not achieve his true potential and the status he deserved. he also did not utilize Javed Miandad properly in the series in India =- and what to think of suddenly abandoning captaincy in a crunch match!
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May 06, 2019 04:10am
Thank you Shahid Afridi for giving pakistan a bad reputation right before the World Cup. Fans gave you respect and supported you because we thought you were an individual with integrity, however, the fact that you lied about your age and never said anything until now (in your book) and blame Pakistan cricket for that is shocking and unacceptable.
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May 06, 2019 06:03am
Shahid Afridi was one of the most inconsistent player of Pakistan and was given enough chances.
He could have learned from his mistakes and that's how you become legend.
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May 06, 2019 08:34am
Even today the most number of SIXES record still stands by Afridi. He is boom boom Afridi and he spent 20 years in cricket to write this book.
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May 06, 2019 08:38am
Why he do not talk about ball tempering on Australian tour,where he was caught on camera biting a ball..???
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May 06, 2019 08:39am
Did he explain as who was behind him that he was not making runs and still being in Pak team for almost 2 decades?
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May 06, 2019 10:32am
if you can not achieve the heights of playing good cricket not even great you do not have the right to defame the country for which you have played , The fame and love you got , you have totally betrayed it
Sad , Shahid Khan Afridi
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May 06, 2019 11:14am
@SRK, I agree with you, but then again of all the things in life-a book? written by Afridi, give me a break. The show-boy as always, who unfortunately never grew up to be a man. However, for a publication such as this, to write such an incoherent editorial on the subject, one can only say that it must have been a slow news day-sad indeed.
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May 06, 2019 12:38pm
AFRIDI was an average cricketer but behaving like a super star cricketer. He was the most inconsistent and uncertain batsman who always played for the gallery. He should not has criticized cricket greats in his book because he is too small to criticize them. The average player like him always receives more than 100 coaching tips a day by their coach in order to make him a better player. But keeping himself on the verge of attention deficit he could not succeed to become a better player despite of having enormous batting talent and great power hitting. Miandad was just trying to control his temperament and controlling temp in people like him is an uphill task — and helping him learn to do so is a tougher job too. Actually when he doesn't get her own way he has temper tantrums and one should hope and pray that he will be able to accept his mistakes made in his book and would be disappointed for not rectifying them.
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May 06, 2019 02:04pm
The kid who refused to grow.
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May 06, 2019 02:15pm
Why should anything this guy says be taken seriously? The person who tried ruining the pitch in the middle of a test match, who ate cricket ball like an apple in front of the whole world. Who retired then came back then retired again then came back again and then retired again. Who because of his stupidity, inability to control himself and lack of game awareness lost so many matches from winning positions. Who was a batsman who could ball and then claimed to be equally good in both departments and then said that he is not a batsman only a bowler. Who has been a rash and underachieved cricketer throughout his career. Even after retiring now, in a book related to cricket is talking about politicians. How and why would anyone take him seriously. He has always been a selfish individual who thinks that country, cricket and sentiments are all nothing in front of him. Sad for people who idolise him.
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May 07, 2019 12:50am
Many cricketers have written books through ghost writers. My little library has 25, including BOOM BOOM (2009) Compiled and Edited by my friend Asif Noorani. The book has only 75 pages but has a lot of substance. One sentence specially describes this cricketer in a nutshell...."The only thing predictable about Afridi has been his unpredictably". When he has not made runs, he has taken wickets, and when he has not done either he has taken spectacular catches. Even when he has done non of those, cricket lovers have come just to see him on the field. Nobody ever found an empty stadium if Afridi was playing. Credit must be given where its due. Please don't shoot him down, for all the tamashas. Its all part of the Afridi package.
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May 07, 2019 01:54am
Afridi was an average player and not very sportsman type. He likely will join politics (likely PTI) therefore doing lot of politics. His words are not worthy and most are incomplete truth.
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May 07, 2019 05:46am
@khan,
.....We watched cricket only to watch Afridi blast the opponents away. ...
So, your cricket watching life has been a giant disappointment!!
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May 07, 2019 06:52am
@Mohd azeez, Indian troll comment. Smith and warner should be stripped of their Aussie citizenship. Hardik should be jailed. Don't be crass and rude. This is about an individual, not his country.
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May 07, 2019 06:54am
@Mark, agree.
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May 07, 2019 06:57am
@CHELFLS, good generous offer. Rational Pakistanis apologize for foolish Afridi.
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May 07, 2019 08:36am
@SRK, Just shows how authentic and fair is the book.
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May 07, 2019 11:07am
The most over rated player in the history of cricket, still ashamed of how he chewed the cricket ball in front of thousands, and creep suggested he was hungry... waste of a player
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May 07, 2019 03:14pm
Shahid is an unintelligible guy. Whoever is going to read his book. He has lost more matches for Pakistan than anyone else. Wonder how did he survive for so long especially in Pakistan team.
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