The Strange Case of Shahid Afridi’s Test Captaincy
Shahid Afridi is a strange but brilliant man; he used to be known for his amazing batting prowess and lately his great bowling skills.
He sometimes performs brilliantly and other times he falls flat on his face. He is known for having a taste for cricket balls and sporting an unsightly beard but he was also a pretty interesting captain.
Even though his side lost the latest test match against Australia with him at the helm, he has a way with his players. He seems to be able to lead them into battle and genuinely looks like he is enjoying himself out there on the pitch. So his decision to suddenly quit the captaincy of the test side has raised some eyebrows.
Afridi quit as the captain of the test side of Pakistan after only one match. This was his first test match in four years and he led the team to a 150 run loss against Australia. Shahid Afridi never seemed like a test player, he seemed more suited to other forms of the game such as one day and T20.
He is a slogger off the ball and over the years he developed a reputation for being able to smack deliveries out of the park rather than stay at the crease for days on end. So it seems with a sad heart that he has decided to end his reign as test captain.
The reasons he has given for his decision is that it seems he has a side strain and also the fact that he feels he does not have the temperament for this format of the game. After getting caught in the deep off a strange shot, he stated that it was an irresponsible shot to play and he felt he had let his team down by not being an example to the younger players on the side, (Dawn Media Group, 2010).
The odd thing about his sudden rash decision was the fact that he was called on to become captain after not having played a single test match in four years and he jumped at the chance. Then after a single match he said goodbye to the format for good. It really does not make sense. He should not have accepted the position in the first place if he was just going to quit.
Afridi’s resignation from the post has left the gap wide open which will be filled by the batsman Salman Butt. It was a shock for the 25 year old who seemed to find out about his appointment right after Afridi quit. This is not the first time this sort of scenario has taken place in test cricket. In 1988, England’s test captain of the time Chris Cowdrey lasted for only one test match against a very strong West Indies side. He quit after just a single game. Kevin Pietersen also had a very short spell as captain when he took over the job for only three tests in 2009, (Marks, V., 2010).
A large number of cricket pundits in Pakistan and abroad were saying that this one match spell was typical of the shambles Pakistani cricket is in at the moment. But it has happened to a lot of different teams and a lot of them go through a few players until they find the right fit for the job. Clearly Afridi was not the right man for the job.
A lot of former players and pundits in Pakistan have been commenting on Afridi’s decision to leave the top spot. Some said he should never have taken the job in the first place, others said that he should never have been offered the job because he is clearly not a test player.
Some even said that the side would be better off without him and his horrendous batting skills, while others called for him to be punished for his misconduct, (Cricinfo, 2010). Is that a little harsh or is it fair to say that he should never have been given the job in the first place.
Afridi is not a bad player, maybe not the greatest test player in the world, but he is a great all rounder and an asset to the Pakistani team. It is really not fair to criticise him so heavily for his decision. Sometimes people take on jobs and responsibilities that they think they can do but then fall short when they try them. It is much nobler to bow out gracefully when you know you cannot do something rather than stick it out till the dying end.
Afridi is a good player and a great captain. Even though he could not perform well in the test format, he should be applauded for standing up and admitting that he could not lead the side and handing over the reins to someone else. Pakistan needs more cricketers like him on their team.
Tags: