Pakistani One-Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 skipper Shahid Afridi looks for some respect as he leads the young, inexperienced Pakistani team in the ongoing tour of England. After the recent match-fixing scandal, the young visiting side is looking for some closure and magic to happen in the One-Day International (ODI) series.
The Pakistani cricket team and the country itself is undergoing immense problems caused by the recent floods which have devastated the country, displacing millions. Under such circumstances the last thing this cricketing nation was looking forward to was a match-fixing scandal. And just when everyone thought it was all said and done with, the PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt, accused English players of match-fixing as they lost the 3rd ODI against Pakistan at the Oval.
With all these conspiracy theories and allegations running amok, Afridi comes into play. The 29 year old is supposed to look after the Pakistani 11 on and off the field. Meanwhile, the challenges to his captaincy remain substantial. Afridi is expected to step up to the occasion and lead this young Pakistani lot to better things. Afridi who is known for his impatience and intolerance, all of sudden has been asked to step up as the skipper of the unpredictable men in green.
The fourth ODI of the series will be Afridi’s 300th ODI. His all-rounder skills became prominent 10 years into his cricketing career. The aggressive right-hander is also a brilliantly mercurial and unpredictable leg spinner. He has the ability to bowl two types of googlies; the first is the conventional offie and the second is a lethal faster delivery which is normally unplayable as world-class batsmen fail to read the length and speed of the ball.
Afridi is usually known as a crowd-puller or a madcap batsman around the world. He is renowned for his inability to control his urge to slog each and every ball that comes his way. This inability has often led to him losing his wicket cheaply.
‘Boom Boom Afridi’, as he is lovingly known, was never seen as a captain due to his immaturity and impatience. Yet, due to incredible mismanagement at the PCB, he was the only senior player left who could fulfill a captain’s role. The decision to hand a life ban to Yunus Khan was probably one of the worst decisions ever taken by the PCB.
Afridi, who also held fundraisers to generate money for the recent flood victims in Pakistan, has always stepped in whenever Pakistani cricket has needed his services. His passion and love for his country and cricket are the two vital part of his personality which somehow is exactly what Pakistani cricket requires at the moment.
One might not understand the rationale behind the PCB appointing Afridi as the skipper of the ODI team, but apparently he is exactly what the doctor ordered for Pakistani cricket. His optimism has brought back the crushed confidence of the young Pakistani players. Above all, his recent performances with both bat and ball in the 20 over version of the game have given Pakistani cricket some measure of respect in the international arena. As he sets off with his playing 11 for the much awaited World Cup 2011, one can only hope and see the unexpected luck and magic he can bring to this sport.
