Just weeks before World Cup 2011 got underway, Pakistan’s cricket chiefs had serious second thought about retaining Shahid Afridi as their captain for the global tournament.
Apparently not convinced that the experienced all-rounder was their best choice for World Cup captaincy, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) mulled over the option of installing Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan’s Test captain, as the national team’s one-day skipper but in the end decided to persist with Afridi.
The Board was severely criticized for its indecision though some experts did believe that the PCB has erred by sticking with Afridi.
With two impressive World Cup wins against Kenya and co-hosts Sri Lanka, the flamboyant Afridi has certainly silenced his critics.
He led Pakistan from the front in Hambantota against Kenya last week, picking up 5-16 – the best World Cup figures by a Pakistani bowler.
More importantly, he took four wickets in Pakistan’s morale-boosting 11-run win over the Sri Lankans here on Saturday night.
Afridi, 30, has impressed all with the way he has been performing both as the team’s senior player and its captain. It’s hardly surprising that he is getting all out support from his teammates.
“He (Afridi) is a match winner,” Shoaib Akhtar, the experienced Pakistan fast bowler, told reporters here on Monday at the P Sara Stadium where Pakistan trained ahead of their Pool A game against Canada.
“Everyone is supporting him as captain, even when he lost the semifinal in the World Twenty20,” added Akhtar who was referring to Pakistan’s shock defeat against Australia in the World Twenty20 semis in St Lucia last year. Pakistan lost that match from a seemingly winning position.
“He (Afridi) a bit hyper but that's okay,” said Akhtar. “He took some time to blend the team which is natural and is now doing a great job as captain.” Akhtar, 35, believes that Afridi’s strong point is that he gets the best out of his players and is making it sure that each and every member of his team, especially the seniors, stay fully involved. “We are complimenting each other, he takes advice from all of us. We are looking at each other in difficult situations.” Akhtar said that he has always been telling Afridi to focus on his bowling more than his batting.
“I’ve always believed that he is a better bowler than a batsman and is a match winner. Something that he has proved time and again,” said Akhtar.
Afridi, who on Saturday became the only Pakistani all-rounder to have 6000 runs and 300 wickets in One-day Internationals, is pleased that he has been doing a good job as captain.
“I’ve always said that how the captain performs is vital for his team.
It’s great that I’m doing my bit,” he said.
