Afridi, as I see him

Tribune bloggers present opposing views on the clash between Shahid Afridi and the PCB.

Zainab Imam/Amna Lone June 08, 2011


Two bloggers face off on Afridi's controversial resignation - were his actions justified or did ego get the best of him?

The Pakistan Cricket Board had it coming: Zainab Imam


Someone had to go against them and who better than Shahid Afridi – Lala to his fans – who not only says he has public support and doesn’t need anything more, but also behaves like it.

Many believe that Afridi has a personal agenda against the board which is why he, loved and hated for his mercurial temperament, has taken the bull by the horns. They point to the day he announced his retirement, saying he was dejected after being stripped of captaincy. What they fail to look at is the legitimate reason he gave: The perennial uncertainty about his immediate future and not being able to do his job properly due to unwanted interference.

PCB’s reply to this was the worst possible way to treat a player under whose captaincy Pakistan made it to the World Cup semi-final despite a mediocre year behind them and the shock loss that was Mohammad Amir.

The time is now. We see scandal after scandal unfold under Ijaz Butt and the board’s incompetence at handling trivial matters is quite clear. It needs to go. And Afridi is going to be the man spearheading the movement.

Suspending Afridi’s contract and revoking his NOC is PCB’s way of saying that no one can challenge its decisions, not even the captain. For him to put his career at stake for the improvement of cricket is one of the boldest steps any cricketer has ever taken. And we should be behind the man who has dared.

Afridi's reaction lacks dignity and poise: Amna Lone

The drama that unfolded with Afridi commenting on Waqar Younis’ interference in team affairs has taken on proportions that were quite unimaginable when he first spoke about it.

It seems that both Afridi and the blunder-prone PCB are bent upon outdoing each other in committing one howler after another. However, as a weary Pakistan cricket fan, who has had to put up with the shenanigans of the PCB for the longest time, one cannot help but feel that the board alone cannot be blamed for giving rise to the stand-off.

Only the most biased would disagree with the fact that Afridi is a proven match-winner who’s left an indelible mark on Pakistan cricket. However, that doesn’t give him the license to openly wash the dressing room’s dirty linen in public. Making irresponsible statements and playing to the gallery is not the kind of behavior that a senior player, who’s captained the national team, should be engaging in.

Afridi’s comments on the coach’s interference were needless as the ideal approach would’ve been to seek a quiet, behind-the-doors solution, failing which he could have gone public with his grievances as a last resort.

Admittedly, his removal from captaincy was taken with reasons unexplained, but his reaction to the move completely lacked dignity and poise. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to swallow one’s pride and act maturely for the greater good, but that’s something that seems to be lost on Afridi.
WRITTEN BY:
Zainab Imam A journalist, on a hiatus to pursue a Masters in Public Policy at The University of Chicago. Gender parity advocate, urban policy enthusiast. She tweets @zainabimam (https://twitter.com/zainabimam) and blogs at gulaabjamun.wordpress.com
The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

COMMENTS (26)

waqas | 13 years ago | Reply listen guys Afridi as well as ejaz but both are thieves so that they resolve the problem out side the court You think afridi was a great player i admitt this . but this not just about game and these two people this is the issue for Pakistan ........ so beware about these thieves and dnt support afridi just be a true pakistani and screw those who are against Pakistan and doing their own politics with the country ........ i love my Pakistan .... i think the NOC should not be given to afridi..... thats all........
Sikander Shaikh | 13 years ago | Reply unfortunately i have taken more than a week to reach to the topic... with regards to PEPCO... I would like to suggest the writer to 1st up come with valid and mature data to prove any thing... second thing abt the comments... mostly mixed up... There is no doubt Afridi is big name in the world of cricket... so PCB and him should have handle all this with care... even the conditions were so critical... but i would definitely blame Mr IJAZ BUTT.. who has been the agenda to remove the cricket from pakistan... with the big help of BCCI the neighbor board, but yet they have to take some more steps to achieve that goal... as we all know IJAZ BUTT and previous chairman NASEEM AKHTAR sb they both guys have really done well... i think we should now look fwd for KABADI aur KUSHTI to watch in leisure time.. bcoz Hockey and Cricket are almost in thier coffins and waiting last nails to be hooked... and Football is not the game we can rely in near future... so let Go for KUSHTI and KABADI....
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