Afridi not Shahid yet?
One thing is for sure, Shahid Afridi would surely have been a great teaser if he ever had been in love. The question—will he, won’t he—- is something that he has done all his life, and on Tuesday, the former Pakistan captain, who quit international cricket, stated that he is ready for selection in the national side.
Yawn!
Much like his batting which has revolved around playing shots as per his impulsiveness than what the situation demanded, the all-rounder has been known for his decisions off the field as well.
From shooting his mouth to television channels about his opponents, to mouthing expletives on the field, Afridi has never been known as a player who had a good head over his shoulders. Now, that’s a sorry statement to say about a player who has played international cricket since 1996.
While Afridi’s talent was never in question, his attitude definitely was. Despite having featured in four World Cups, Afridi has never been really praised in the trade circles as a genuine legend. For someone who career strike rates can’t be matched, he has played just 27 Tests (when compared to 325 ODIs) in his career.
Why shouldn’t one take Afridi seriously?
Simply because Afridi has always played the game on his impulse than by the rules laid down in cricketing circles. A good example of this was in 2006 when he retired from Test cricket, only for him to come and even captain Pakistan in Tests on their tour to England last year.
But yes, he did the inevitable yet again. He retired from Test cricket during that very tour (after the Test at Lord’s ) in order to concentrate on the shorter format of the game. Holy God! When will this lad ever learn? Answer: Never.
For someone who is a compulsive hitter of the cricket ball, he has often taken his country for a ride (mostly rough ones!) and when he ‘allegedly’ retired, many said he could come back soon. And yes! He has come back.
Despite all these ill qualities about him, Afridi has never once failed to entertain the crowd that flocked to the stadium to catch a glimpse of the Pathan.
Be it belting the bowlers or hurling those leg-breaks at pacers’ speed. But, by announcing his plans to play for his country yet again, Afridi may continue to score few more runs, even hundreds, but his integrity and people’s respect for him would diminish—much faster like the cherry that disappears from his willow on a given day!
