PROFILE
He is as enigmatic a player as there ever was. He
came as a 16 year old into the Pakistan ODI squad and was unfazed by all the
speculation regarding his real age. In his very first ODI innings against Sri
Lanka in 1998, he blasted his way to a 37 ball century. This remains the
fastest hundred ever in this format. This came after he was sent in as a pinch
hitter at one drop and after being picked in the team as a leg spinning
replacement to the injured Mushtaq Ahmed!
His madcap ways continued and his batting took
predominance after having jumped into collective memory with that ton. He soon
became a crowd puller for just his eccentric batting. As entertaining it was to
the viewers, it sometimes proved to be infuriating to his team mates. His then
captain, Wasim Akram, had repeatedly asked him not to throw his wicket away but
nothing could change Afridi's ways. This reckless streak extended to the
highest format, the Test matches, and he was quickly sorted out by his
opponents. After having some limited success in the longest format, Afridi
quickly realized that he lacked the temperament for the same and announced his
retirement from Tests in 2006 after having played just 26 games.
He was more successful in the limited overs format
where he influenced many games with a stunning cameo. After a while his career
completed a full circle as his fast leg breaks gained more importance. His
tendency to rush through his overs was almost as influential, in the shorter
formats, as his variety. He mixed up the googlies with the faster ones and at
times even delivered the conventional off break. This was interspersed with
some stunning knocks such as the one against India in 2005 when he got to his
hundred in 45 balls, the second fastest ever! This lethal combination made him
one of the most valuable limited overs players going around and his all round
record in ODIs is second only to Sanath Jayasuriya. They are the only two men
to have made over 4000 runs and taken over 300 wickets.
The advent of T20 saw a rise in Afridi's value. He
was named the man of the series in the inaugural T20 WC in 2007 when Pakistan
reached the final. He also scored fifties in both the semi final and the final
of the 2009 T20 WC and this time it helped Pakistan win the tournament. Soon
after he was named the captain of the T20 side. In 2010, after Mohammad
Yousuf's exit, he was handed over the ODI reigns too. He even returned briefly
to Tests to lead Pakistan in England but retired immediately after the first
Test at Lord's, re-affirming that he was not suited for Tests. This did not
hold him back from leading the Pakistan ODI team in the 2011 World Cup that saw
him at the peak of his bowling prowess. He emerged as the joint highest wicket
taker along with Zaheer Khan. Both had 21 wickets.
Controversies have dogged him throughout his career.
After the age speculations died down, he was banned for two ODIs and a Test in
2005 after cameras caught him deliberately scuffing up the pitch with his boots
in a Test against England. That was not the end of it, in 2010 he was found
guilty of ball tampering when he was caught biting the ball in an ODI against
Australia. A ban for two T20Is followed. In 2011 after a tour of the West
Indies and following a rift with Pakistan coach, Waqar Younis, Afridi was sacked
as the captain of the ODI squad. His response to what he saw as unfair
treatment being meted out by the PCB was to announce a conditional retirement.
He soon sought a NOC from the PCB that would allow him to play for Hampshire.
It was granted after both parties agreed to an out of court settlement.
In October 2011, Afridi withdrew his conditional
retirement and was selected for the Sri Lanka tour. In the fourth ODI, Afridi
became the only cricketer to score a half-century and take five wickets on two separate
occasions in ODIs. He also became the first person to score a fifty in his 50th
T20 international in 2012.
During the first ODI against West Indies in July
2013, Afridi produced an exceptional all-round performance. He scored an
aggressive 76 to help Pakistan reach a respectable total of 224 and annihilated
West Indies with a remarkable bowling spell of 7-12, his second best ODI
bowling figures of all time. In late 2013, Afridi had a decent run with the
ball in the series' against South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Severely criticized for his lack of quality
performances in recent times, Afridi silenced his critics in the 2014 Asia Cup
by delivering outstanding back-to-back performances. In what was quoted to be a
virtual semi-final against India, he hit a quick-fire 34 not out giving
Pakistan a thrilling last over win. He bettered his previous performance in the
next game against Bangladesh, equalling his own record for the second fastest
ODI fifty for the third time. Both these performances not only ensured Pakistan
a spot in the final but also India's elimination from the tournament.
Unfortunately, Afridi suffered a hamstring injury during this time. He did not
get a chance to bat in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka and was mediocre
with the ball as well. Afridi played some useful hands with both bat and ball
in the World T20, but could not get Pakistan to qualify for the semi-finals.
Source: Cricbuzz Staff
As of April 2014
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