http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Ali-Khan-c89356 Afridi - the maddest of mad maxes - Part 1 - Opinion
In Pakistan cricket, the flare of the youth is often given due consideration and exposed to the realms and realities of international cricket almost suddenly and unexpectedly. Those who exhibit maturity and are on the fringes of selection, often have to
wait long and hard before the green cap comes their way. Despite this, products such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket,
this process yielded significant dividends.
Contrastingly, players such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 had to stay on the fringes before they were in contention for playing for Australia. Cricketers emerging onto the scene and making a significant impact can vary between countries and their respective
structures. One man however, has managed to construct an extraordinary career, which will go down unrivaled amongst most of his contemporaries. The fact that he was fast tracked into the side at a tender age has meant that his impact on the ODI game can be
felt even today. His stats are less than extravagant, and the fact that he will be unrivaled stems from his status as the most inconsistent, ruthless and temperamental cricketer of his age.
That man is http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 - the maddest of mad maxes. His notoriety as a compulsive basher stands in stark contrast with his ruthlessness consistency with the ball. No player in the history of the game has had an impact on the ODI format as he has in his
prime. Whether it is tumbling catches which are plucked out of thin air, five-wicket hauls which leave the opposition dismayed or the odd breath taking hundred, Afridi has an impact on cricket like no other player.
He is a crowd puller, a crowd disappointer, and has a fan following in a country where cricket is equated with religion. Consistency can never be associated with him, yet his flare on the field is evident when he embraces the pitch, takes guard and glares
at the bowler with the willow in hand. Hundreds if not thousands of supporters flood to stadiums across the globe to watch Afridi bat as he takes it upon himself and only himself, to win games for Pakistan.
To the disgust of many, he disappoints more than he entertains, as a wild heave through the leg side is gleefully pouched by the opponents. He is also known to perish when his team needs a breathtaking contribution, and at the end of the day, he draws a
wealth of criticism from different quarters.
Despite his reputation as being a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ernest-Harvey-Bromley-c56276 in ODI cricket, some extraordinary results have come Afridi’s way, leaving statisticians bamboozled and bowled over. Afridi has smashed the fastest ODI century of all time, which is a feat that stands unrivaled by
some of the most explosive players of his generation. His 37-ball knock against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 at the Nairobi Gymkhana Club, is mentioned time and time again by Pakistani supporters, cricket analysts and sports fanatics, and few would dispute that there has not
been a more explosive innings before that jaw dropping fiesta. Since then, Afridi’s acumen as a big hitter helped him forge a fantastic opening combination and partnership with the elegant http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Anwar-c87864, lasting for the most part of the 1990s and early 2000s.
Yet as Anwar continued to play elegantly, Afridi’s adrenaline charges and propensity to prefer brawl over brain, eventually lead to his decline as a batsman.
Continued in Part 2...
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