The world cup continues to amaze us in many ways as after 19 matches that have been played so far, the highest wicket-taker is Shahid Afridi. Afridi has picked up 14 wickets in 3 matches - 5 against Kenya, 4 against Sri Lanka, 5 against Canada - which is awesome by all standards. Afridi has undergone a remarkable transformation over years. From being an aggressive opening batsman to being an aggressive pinch-hitter to being an aggressive lower-middle-order batsman to being only aggressive at one point was the first phase of his career. Afridi could be deadly with the bat on his day but his days are so far spaced from one another that I could barely appreciate him as a batsman. Afridi knows virtually no batting technique and that adds to the reasons for me not calling him a good batsman. This, however, was, and pretty much is, the story of Afridi - the batsman.
In the last few years, he has been giving enough importance to the role that he played his first ODI in - that of a leg-spinner. Few would know that Afridi made it to the Pakistan side as a replacement for Mushtaq Ahmed. However, fate had it that he were to create the record of the fastest hundred in ODIs - which still stands - only in his 2nd ODI when he was sent in as a pinch-hitter. This made him forget the ball in the former half of his career and play as a batsman.
Shahid Afridi is now again a bowler, and to be honest, a remarkably consistent and a surprisingly clever bowler. Talking only of this world cup, Afridi has varied his pace and the flight on the ball beautifully in all the three games that he played. He has also worked on his googly, and has the habit of bowling a fast wrong one - clearly different from a top-spinner - to people who cannot read him. In fact, a spinner who can occasionally bowl so fast and vary his pace so well could always be dangerous. On a turning track, this gets worse for the batsmen because Afridi has the ability to turn his faster ones as well. And when the ball turns rapidly into the right-hander (in case of Afridi's googlies) the batsman better read it well, else he might be gambling with his wicket.
Although I'm not too fond of the term, Shahid Afridi is also a partnership-breaker. And I think, the reason for that is the batsmen do not play him with the respect he deserves. Not many expect Afridi to bowl a stunner of a delivery all of a sudden and the prejudice of the batsman is what costs him his wicket. This, however, does not take any credit away from Afridi who has been the best bowler of the tournament so far and I don't say this only because he is the highest wicket-taker.
Afridi is also a passionate captain though not the best of the strategists. He has always been passionate and always been aggressive as a cricketer. But I feel, the best thing that has happened to him in the recent years is that he has learned to apply his aggression and direct it well as a bowler, something he could never really manage as a batsman in a career that spans 15 years.
In the last few years, he has been giving enough importance to the role that he played his first ODI in - that of a leg-spinner. Few would know that Afridi made it to the Pakistan side as a replacement for Mushtaq Ahmed. However, fate had it that he were to create the record of the fastest hundred in ODIs - which still stands - only in his 2nd ODI when he was sent in as a pinch-hitter. This made him forget the ball in the former half of his career and play as a batsman.
Shahid Afridi is now again a bowler, and to be honest, a remarkably consistent and a surprisingly clever bowler. Talking only of this world cup, Afridi has varied his pace and the flight on the ball beautifully in all the three games that he played. He has also worked on his googly, and has the habit of bowling a fast wrong one - clearly different from a top-spinner - to people who cannot read him. In fact, a spinner who can occasionally bowl so fast and vary his pace so well could always be dangerous. On a turning track, this gets worse for the batsmen because Afridi has the ability to turn his faster ones as well. And when the ball turns rapidly into the right-hander (in case of Afridi's googlies) the batsman better read it well, else he might be gambling with his wicket.
Although I'm not too fond of the term, Shahid Afridi is also a partnership-breaker. And I think, the reason for that is the batsmen do not play him with the respect he deserves. Not many expect Afridi to bowl a stunner of a delivery all of a sudden and the prejudice of the batsman is what costs him his wicket. This, however, does not take any credit away from Afridi who has been the best bowler of the tournament so far and I don't say this only because he is the highest wicket-taker.
Afridi is also a passionate captain though not the best of the strategists. He has always been passionate and always been aggressive as a cricketer. But I feel, the best thing that has happened to him in the recent years is that he has learned to apply his aggression and direct it well as a bowler, something he could never really manage as a batsman in a career that spans 15 years.
He is my Fav Pakistani bowler..superb variations and drift..!!
ReplyDeletePrecisely. Variations are his biggest strength and he is surprisingly clever while bowling.
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