When will Shahid Afridi stop entertaining us?

Shahid Afridi has entertained and disappointed so much that people have forgotten the difference between both feelings

KARACHI:

There is still that something special about the 40-year-old ‘Boom Boom’ Shahid Afridi. People hate the former Pakistan captain because of his inconsistency, but whenever he is batting or bowling, they are glued to the screen.

Why do we hate the man we love to see in the stadium? This paradoxical relationship with Afridi has confused many a people in their lifetime, especially those who have seen the all-rounder play for a good part of his career.

Everyone knows how Pakistan’s love affair with Afridi started. He scored the fastest century in ODIs. Old story, heard many times over and over again, to the point that it became boring. And why should be we remember it. People have bettered his record already, multiple times. However, it still holds importance because he played miraculously fast for the 37-ball record even before the advent of T20s.

Then everyone mentions the two sixes off Ravi Ashwin in the 2014 Asia Cup. Pakistan won, India lost, all thanks to Afridi. However, no one mentions that Mohammad Hafeez was the player of the match with 75 runs and two wickets in the 246-run chase.

Also, people forget to mention that Pakistan lost the final of that Asia Cup to Sri Lanka by five wickets. Afridi scored zero runs off zero balls and also went wicketless in the six overs he bowled in the ODI.

Let’s talk about Afridi’s biggest achievement of his cricketing career: the 2009 World T20 win.

Afridi goes wicketless in first match against England, scores only five runs off 12 balls. Afridi makes bowling comeback against Netherlands, bags four wickets in four overs for just 11 runs, two runs less than what he scored (13 runs).

Pakistan enter next phase of 2009 World T20. Sri Lanka beats Pakistan as Afridi goes for first-ball duck, but bags two wickets before that. He missed his mark in the bowling department with only one wicket in four overs, but guides Pakistan past the New Zealand target of 100 runs. Umar Gul stars in the match with his perfect yorkers rattling Kiwi batsman.

And when Pakistan needed a win to make it to the semis, Afridi scores team’s second highest score of 24 off 13 balls and bags one wicket against Ireland to guide the Men in Green home. However, Kamran Akmal is awarded player of the match for his 57 off 51.

Then comes the moment when Afridi finally finds his groove with both the bat and the ball and ends up scoring a fifty (51 off 34) and bags two wickets to down South Africa in the semi-finals.

And then, everyone remembers the right-handed, hard-hitter’s exceptional and unbeaten 54-run innings to guide Pakistan to the 2009 World T20 silverware when chasing 139-run target. He grabs the man of the final award and writes his name forever in the cricket folklore of Pakistan.

Some say the 2009 World T20 was the epitome of what Afridi represents: a perfect all-rounder who cannot be categorised as a batting one or a bowling one. His ability with both the willow and the kookaburra stands exactly at par with each other.

However, on Sunday, there were a few Afridi fanatics who tweeted that he should be played as a bowler for this year’s World T20. They made their case after the spinner bagged two wickets at a crucial time for Multan and ended his four overs for only 24 runs. His first wicket came from a ball which creamed through Alex Hales’ defences and was utterly unplayable to say the least. It brought back the memories of him doing exactly this to many others who faced his leg-spin in his heydays.

To be honest, Afridi has entertained and disappointed his lovers and haters on so many occasions that people have forgotten the difference between both feelings whenever they see him bat or bowl.

Pakistan has a new Afridi at the moment, sizzling through batsmen’s defences with his pace and length nowadays, Shaheen Shah Afridi. However, no one can deny that there will always be only one Afridi whenever the story of Pakistan cricket will be written. And the question for Afridi-lovers and Afridi-haters still remains, when will he stop entertaining us with his uncertainty? Both parties would surely wish he never stops. But he will, some day. So, let’s enjoy the Lala show before he hangs his boots for good, forever.