Probably not one of Afridi’s favourite strokes and certainly not in the coaching manual. — AFP There were a number of unforgettable moments. The 46-ball ODI century in Kanpur that spurred on Pakistan to turn a 0-2 deficit into a 4-2 series in India was one major highlight among them.
There was one major drawback though. Afridi never delivered as a batsman on the biggest stage, the 50-over World Cup. His highest score was 37 — against Zimbabwe at The Oval in 1999 — in 27 matches during which he accumulated just 325 runs at 14.13, compared to his career tally of 8,064 runs at 23.57.
He returned a much respectable average — 26.63 — with the bat in his 38-match tenure as ODI captain with two of six one-day hundreds coming as the skipper.
Afridi was never considered a first-choice captain, but still managed to lead the country in one World Cup and two World Twenty20 assignments.
He was only confirmed as Pakistan skipper for the 2011 World Cup a few days before the competition began. Speculation mounted that the PCB chief Ijaz Butt was inclined towards Misbah-ul-Haq as the main man for the mega event.
Later on it was a major surprise, when Afridi was announced as Pakistan captain for the 2016 World Twenty20 as early as September 2014. Better sense was definitely amiss. Perhaps, the man himself didn’t have the trust of his employers and wanted a straight answer from the appointing authority.
Some say political interference played a key role in Afridi securing the captaincy an unprecedented 18 months before the tournament. Whoever was behind the move must have had a deep insight into the game and exactly knew then that Afridi would be still around to carry the mantle!
Cynics argue that Afridi should have honourably quit playing T20 Internationals after Pakistan had exited at the 2014 world event in Bangladesh before completely retiring from international cricket at the 2015 World Cup.
As time testified, Afridi, by his own admission, observed he didn’t have in him anymore the urge to captain the country. This assessment earned praise from former Australia captain Ian Chappell.
A respected analyst, writer and commentator for many years now, Chappell lauded the beleaguered Afridi for being honest.
“I don’t think it was doing him any favours giving him the captaincy because he is one of those sorts of erratic geniuses you never know what you’re going to get next. I’m not sure if that’s the right temperament for captaincy,” was the Australian’s assertion.
Whether right or wrong, Afridi has served Pakistan cricket for a long time and that sort of service and contributions from the man should be acknowledged and respected.
He played the game to entertain all and sundry all over the universe. Probably, his biggest mistake was not quitting when the time was ripe and he was at the top of his game.
If he decides to continue at the international level, that will be the bleakest moment in Pakistan cricket. A decision Afridi will regret for the rest of his life.
khalidhkhan6@hotmail.com
Career at a glance
Overall summary
Tests: debut match vs Australia at Karachi 1998-99; last match vs Australia at Lord’s 2010
27 matches, 1716 runs, highest score 156, average 36.51, strike rate 86.97, hundreds 5, fifties 8, catches 10, wickets 48, best figures 5-52, average 35.60, five-for 1, strike rate 66.5, economy 3.21.
One-day Internationals: debut match vs Kenya at Nairobi 1996; last match vs Australia at Adelaide 2015.
398 matches, 8064 runs, highest score 124, average 23.57, strike rate 117.00, hundreds 6, fifties 39, catches 127, wickets 395, best figures 7-12, average 34.51, four-for 13, strike rate 44.7, economy 4.62.
Twenty20 Internationals: debut match vs England at Bristol 2006; last match vs Australia at Mohali 2016.
98 matches, 1405 runs, highest 54 not out, average 18.01, strike rate 150.75, fifties 3, catches 30, wickets 97, best figures 4-11, average 24.35, four-for 3, strike rate 22.1, economy 6.61.
Performance in global limited-overs competitions
ICC World Cup (1999-2015): debut match vs West Indies at Bristol 1999; last match vs Australia at Adelaide 2015.
27 matches, 325 runs, highest score 37, average 14.13, strike rate 112.45, catches 13, wickets 30, best figures 5-16, average 27.70, four-for 4, strike rate 36.8, economy 4.51.
ICC World Twenty20 (2007-2016): debut match vs England at The Oval 2009; last match vs Australia at Mohali 2016.
34 matches, 546 runs, highest score 54 not out, average 18.82, strike rate 154.23, fifties 2, catches 8, wickets 39, best figures 4-11, average 23.25, four-for 2, strike rate 20.7, economy 6.71.
Top overall batting performances
Tests: 156 vs India at Faisalabad 2005-06, 141 vs India at Chennai 1998-99, 122 vs West Indies at Bridgetown 2005, 107 vs West Indies at Sharjah 2001-02, 103 vs India at Lahore 2005-06.
One-day Internationals: 124 vs Bangladesh at Dambulla 2010, 109 vs India at Toronto 1998, 109 vs Sri Lanka at Dambulla 2010, 108 not out vs New Zealand at Sharjah 2002, 102 vs Sri Lanka at Nairobi 1996, 102 vs India at Kanpur 2005.
Twenty20 Internationals: 54 not out vs Sri Lanka at Lord’s 2009, 50 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium) 2009, 52 not out vs Sri Lanka at Hambantota 2012.
Top overall bowling performances
Tests: 5-52 vs Australia at Karachi 1998-99, 4-95 vs England at Faisalabad 2005-06, 3-13 vs India at Bangalore 2004-05, 3-31 vs India at Chennai 1998-99, 3-49 vs West Indies at Bridgetown 2005, 3-50 vs Sri Lanka at Karachi 1999-00, 3-51 vs West Indies at Kingston 2005, 3-80 vs India at Kolkata 2004-05.
One-day Internationals: 7-12 vs West Indies at Providence 2013, 6-38 vs Australia at Dubai 2009, 5-11 vs Kenya at Edgbaston 2004,5-16 vs Kenya at Hambantota 2011, 5-23 vs Canada at Colombo R. Premadasa Stadium) 2011, 5-23 vs Bangladesh at Dhaka 2011, 5-35 vs Sri Lanka at Sharjah 2011, 5-36 vs Afghanistan at Sharjah 2012, 5-40 vs England at Lahore 2000-01, 4-20 vs India at Amstelveen 2004, 4-30 vs West indies at Dhaka 2011, 4-34 vs Sri Lanka at Colombo (R. Premadasa Stadium) 2011, 4-38 vs West Indies at Gros Islet 2005.
Twenty20 Internationals: 4-11 vs Netherlands at Lord’s 2009, 4-14 vs New Zealand at Christchurch 2010, 4-19 vs Scotland at Durban 2007, 3-14 vs Australia at Dubai 2009,3-18 vs Sri Lanka at Johannesburg 2007, 3-15 vs England at Dubai 2015, 3-28 vs South Africa at Cape Town 2013.
— Compiled by KHK
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, April 3rd, 2016