Afridi deserves a last hurrah – Opinion
His bowling may have been his key weapon over the past couple of years, but with that also taking a back seat, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 Afridi’s international career is certainly at a dangerous end.
To rank him alongside http://www.senore.com/Cricket/RT-Ponting-c2377, both of whom are also struggling to find recognition in the presence of upcoming youngsters but still offer awfully more in their concerned field, will be unfair; Afridi’s situation is complex.
He hails from a region where raw talent is in abundance but only those tend to flourish who are either backed by the board, or are simply unmatched in talent. He excludes both the categories, where his skills are limited; a wild swing of the willow is combined
with unconventional leg-spin. Yet, his presence alone on the field adds value to the team, where an opponent’s tactic becomes futile if he is in full flow.
Moreover, he is indeed a crowd puller, an entertainer in every sense of the word but as often is the case; his consistency leaves a lot to be desired. Despite that, he has made a career out of that, where he has played in 27 Tests, and further stood in a
whopping 349 ODIs, along with 56 T20 Internationals.
Given his typical outings over the years, one wonders what the fuss regarding his recent performances is all about. Maturity has not been his main strength, both on and off the field, and as much as one wants to see him perform with the bat, he will never
fit your definition of ‘dependable’.
His recent outings in the World T20 have drawn severe criticism from former players, all of whom have blamed him for the team’s eventual semi-final exit (Afridi made just 30 runs in six matches, and picked up four wickets at 42.75).
His bowling over the past couple of years has never been a major concern, and the economy rate of 6.33 in the World T20 is a fair return, even though he was not at his sparkling best. Since 2007, he has taken 140 ODI wickets at an economy rate of less than
4.5. He is further ranked amongst the top three T20I bowlers in the world.
As for his ‘appalling’ batting, as described by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Geoffrey-Boycott-c58776, it has never been much different. He has batted with the same approach throughout his career, and it has always been a hit-or-miss matter. There is no denying that he had a poor 2012, where
he has scored just 182 runs in 16 matches, but the reality of the situation remains that he still has plenty of cricket left in him.
That thought may be coming from a fan’s perspective, but looking at the bigger picture, one can certainly claim that the PCB has hardly given itself any choice.
He effortlessly carries the expectations of the country when other, more suitable candidates tend to indulge themselves in other practices. That is not to say that Afridi is indispensable to the team, but to drop him due to his performances over the past
few months may not be the right move.
The fault lies with the management, where they tend to heap praise on a person when the hour of need arises and then swiftly back out when the job is done. Some people lead by example, and some by sheer flair, and Afridi certainly fits the latter. The current
team requires his fearless approach, especially against a formidable Indian lineup.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: