We tend to have short memory spans. Every disappointing innings seems to be forgotten every time he scores a quick-fire 40 or takes a couple wickets. PHOTO: REUTERS
On Monday, during the Pakistan versus UAE game, Shahid Afridi became the fourth Pakistani and the 27th cricketer overall to score 8000 runs in ODIs.
Photo: Reuters
Among the 27 batsmen, Afridi has the highest strike rate of 116.86. He is the second player to have completed the double of 8000 runs and 300 wickets, joining Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya.
Without a doubt, Afridi is considered a national hero all over Pakistan. No batsman gets a louder roar from the crowd as he does while walking from the dressing room to the pitch. He has managed to garner the love and adoration of millions of Pakistanis and probably will retain it long after he retires.
Photo: Reuters
However, I have a slightly different point of view regarding the Shahid Afridi situation, and I believe the public’s image and perception of him explains more about Pakistani cricket than what meets the eye.
Afridi has now played 395 ODIs. This makes him a very experienced senior player. In every team sport, senior players are supposed to serve as role models, not only for younger players in the team but for youngsters who follow the team as fans as well.
Yet Afridi, year after year, seems to be sending out the wrong message. If one were to try and play a slideshow of Afridi’s batting innings, the most common image is that of a ball skied straight up in the air, only to fall into the hands an opposition fielder.
In fairness, a number of these dismissals have been under pressure where quick runs and risks were required, but the majority is due to other reasons. Too often, in times when Pakistan needed less than a run a ball while chasing, Afridi has come to the crease and slogged himself out, puzzling everybody.
A case in point is the ball tampering incident which happened a few years back.
In January 2010, when Afridi was captaining Pakistan – due to the absence of Mohammad Yousuf – in the match against Australia in Perth during the fifth Commonwealth Bank ODI series, he was confronted by on-field umpires after the TV umpire had spotted something amiss and the match ball was changed.
Immediately after the game, Afridi was called into a hearing with the match referee and pleaded guilty for biting the ball twice. In later public comments, Afridi admitted to tampering the ball saying,
“I shouldn’t have done
