Afridi
honestly earned every ounce of our respect after he steered the
Pakistan cricket team to propel them into the semi-final of the World
Cup with India. Much to our distaste, he did not seize the prospect to
down the arch-rivals and bring the trophy home but came back home
standing tall and proud for his achievements and gave us something to
cheer about.
However,
as charismatic as Afridi is, he has not matured over his
fourteen-years-long career into the cricketer most people would like him
to be – he is as reckless and uncontrolled as the fire cracker he was
when he was sixteen. One would think that it was about time he grew up.
Afridi
has been a loyal and sincere player throughout his career but has
always been a victim of severe criticism from his seniors. Wasim Akram,
under whom Afridi began his flourishing line of business, always said
that he could never comply with strategies. He would complain that every
time Afridi was sent out to bat, he would tell him to take his time on
the pitch, follow the game plan and then try to score runs – but Afridi
never listened. He would lash out at every ball, in the hope of making
contact and in most cases threw his wicket away in the process.
Afridi announced
his retirement from international cricket claiming that he would not
play for Pakistan under the current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
setup and hinted at the present dissection of the sport due to a Punjab
lobby being established against the Karachi players. Whether true or
not, I wish Afridi would come forward and enlighten his followers about
the matter instead of vexing their loyalties by making slapdash comments
to the media.
I
would have expected Afridi to put all the politics aside and emerge as
the bigger person under the gruesome state of affairs. I thought there
was a true leader in him just as there was in Imran Khan and Wasim
Akram. I hoped that he would continue to storm the nation with his feats
after being mentored by Wasim just as Wasim had done when Imran guided
him. I imagined Afridi to retire like Shoaib Akhtar, with tears of love
for the game in his eyes, and not the detestation that he portrayed.
Still,
for people like Afridi, our public is programmed to conveniently forget
all those dreadful expositions he enacted on and off the field and
instead cherish the few good memories he has given us. On behalf of his
stanch cohorts, I urge Afridi to reconsider his statements, put his ego
aside and serve the team regardless of his discrepancies with the PCB.
This is too sour a note for a talent like him to withdraw
No one does it like Afridi
I have followed Shahid Afridi’s performance for
Hampshire in the Friends Life T20 Cup in England, and it seems like he
has led the team to some impressive victories.
First, a 5 wicket haul to destroy Gloucestershire and then a
belligerent 29 off 17 and 3-10 to roll over Sussex and lead Hampshire to
the top of the table.
I don’t see why anyone would be surprised considering the number of
match winning performances Afridi has come up with, in Pakistan colours.
There are a number of people who have doubted Afridi’s abilities at the
international level – many who never thought he was capable ...
Read Full Post - Media Watchdog
TOPICS
- military
- shahid afridi
- Army
- PML-N
- Afridi
I read so you don’t have to: Afridi week
Pakistan’s love affair with Shahid Afridi is a
curious thing. He is a charismatic underperformer but we choose to
concentrate on the former and ignore the latter.
In a week otherwise dominated, as all weeks are, by bombings, the
Taliban, the CIA and the ISI, there was no greater spat than the one
between Afridi and PCB chairman Ijaz Butt. It reminded us once again
that we love Afridi because he makes us smile and he makes us laugh, a
feature common to all the best pieces of the week.
The worst pieces of the week make it to the ...
Read Full Post - Match Point
TOPICS
- cricket
- shahid afridi
- PCB
- Afridi
- test
A clash of mighty egos
It is hard to accept but celebrated all-rounder
Shahid Afridi has decided to put a full-stop to an illustrious career –
at least for the time being. The 31-year-old, followed by millions
across the globe, said his decision was prompted by the “humiliation”
meted out to him by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
So what’s new? We have a habit of not honouring our national heroes. And
Afridi, maybe you’re not such a hero after all. Irresponsible, immature
attitude exhibited off and on during the 15-year career led to your
downfall, and still you haven’t learnt. Throwing away your wicket when
...
Read Full Post Afridi’s dilemma: Play to your strength
Shahid Afridi has been representing Pakistan
for the last 15 years but he is still unsure about his role in the team.
Afridi joined the Pakistan cricket team as a leg spinner, when Mushtaq
Ahmed was injured and the former was asked to join immediately to
replace him. At that time, Afridi was one of the highest wicket-taking
bowlers at the under-19 level. As a result, he was considered a reliable
spin bowler but no special attention was given to his batting.
However, this changed soon, for Afridi, in his second One Day
International (ODI) and his first international inning, ...
Read Full Post - The Big Picture
TOPICS
Will the real Afridi please stand up?
* Anas Abbas contributed to this blog post.
“I think I am a cricketer first and then a diplomat. I am an ambassador
for Pakistan, so I should know what to say. I think it’s a great sign
for both countries and sports, especially cricket always brings these
two countries together.”
So spoke Shahid Khan Afridi on the eve of the World Cup semi final
against India.
Mere days after winning the hearts of numerous Indian fans with his
generous remarks after the semi final loss, Afridi struck out wildly
when he went on record to lambast Indians on a TV talk show.
“If I have ...
TOPICS
India’s ‘small hearts’ and Afridi’s big mouth
I’ve never been Afridi’s biggest fan. But his
recent form with the ball, and his leadership in the World Cup changed
my mind…well, sort of.
I have always found him to be mercurial. From scoring a hundred in 30-40
balls to getting out after playing the most atrocious shot in the
books, Afridi has even bitten into a cricket ball. A day after his
return to Pakistan, he held a brief press conference on his front porch.
Lala fired back to a question asked by one of the reporters regarding
Pakistan’s defeat against India. He questioned why Pakistanis look
towards India with ...
- The Big Picture
TOPICS
You think cricket isn’t sexy?
My lack of exposure to “American” sports while
growing up is never more apparent than when I’m at work.
I’m surrounded by hardcore football, baseball, and basketball fans.
Now, to be clear, I’m a sports fan. I no longer call it “American
football”, and have had my heart broken by the Bears offensive line time
and time again. I’ve cheered on the Bulls since I was a kid (D Rose
for MVP!), but my sports of choice have always been soccer and cricket.
So, while my colleagues are all about their brackets for March Madness,
I’m streaming the cricket World Cup on my ...
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