On/off/on

The precedent that would be set if Afridi rushed back into the team would be harmful for long-term health of the game.

A Pakistani cricketer announcing his retirement isn’t saying farewell to the game. It’s more like a see you later. In the musical chairs that is Pakistani cricket, the departure of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt and coach Waqar Younis was sure to be accompanied by the return of Shahid Afridi. Keeping count of the number of times Afridi has un-retired requires an advanced degree in mathematics, a sign that the all-rounder is so petulant that he packs his bags and runs home every time things don’t go his away. Despite that, the natural reaction of cricket fans will be to welcome his return. Butt was by far the most despised chairman in our cricket history while Afridi’s charisma and talent, which far outstripped his achievements, made him one of the most popular cricketers in the country.

This is a temptation that should be avoided. The precedent that would be set if Afridi rushed back into the team would be harmful for the long-term health of the game. It would show any player that they simply have to throw a tantrum to get the changes they want. It would undermine the captain and sow the seeds of discord in a team that has always had a problem with factionalism and revolt.

There are very few things about which Ijaz Butt was correct, but the harmful rise of player power was one of them. Afridi was supposed to be a servant of Pakistan cricket; yet he treated the game like he was above it. What is truly maddening about this is that Afridi’s value to the team isn’t as high as someone like Younus Khan, another player who had a falling out with Butt. He was unfairly stripped off the captaincy and dropped from the team, very soon after leading the country to victory at the T20 championships. Yet he bided his time and made a return to the team. Afridi, by contrast, let the country down and for that his career should now come to a close.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2011.