Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

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The Pakistan cricket team is getting its groove back.
And so is Shahid Afridi who was once again the star for Pakistan. While he was more brilliant with the ball, he did also reach a new batting milestone.
During the first match of current Pakistan versus Sri Lanka One Day International series in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Shahid Afridi](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/player/42639.html) completed his 5000 career runs. This was Shahid Afridi](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/player/42639.html) ’s 239th match and 227th innings.
He thus became the 8th cricketer of Pakistan to complete 5000 or more runs in ODIs.

Here is the list of 10 most prolific career run getters for Pakistan in ODIs.

  1. Inzamam-ul-Haq](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40570.html) 11739 runs at 39.52 runs/inning
  2. Saeed Anwar](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/42605.html) 8823 at 39.21
  3. M Yousuf](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/43650.html) 7957 at 41.22
  4. Javed Miandad](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40879.html) 7381 at 41.7
  5. Saleem Malik 7170 at 32.88
  6. Ijaz Ahmed](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40551.html) 6564 at 32.33
  7. Rameez Raja 5841 at **32.09
    **8. Shahid Afridi](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/player/42639.html) **5072 **at 23.37
  8. Aamer Sohail 4780 at **31.86
    **10. Abdul Razzak](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/39836.html) 4465 at 29.96

The top 10 list of Pakistani wicket takers in ODIs is below. The ranking in parenthesis is their World Ranking in terms of highest career wickets.

  1. Wasim Akram (World #1) 502 wickets at 23.52 runs/wicket
  2. Waqar Younis (World #3) 416 wickets at 23.84 runs/wicket
  3. Saqlain Mushtaq](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/42628.html)(World 10) 288 wickets at 21.78 runs/wicket
  4. Abdul Razzak](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/39836.html)(World #16) 245 wickets at 31.04 runs/wicket
  5. Shoaib Akhtar (World #23) 208 wickets at 23.33 runs/wicket
  6. Shahid Afridi (World 27) 201 wickets at 35.38 runs/wicket
  7. Imran Khan](http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/40560.html) (World #33) 182 wickets at 26.61 runs/wicket
  8. Aaqib Javed (World #34) 182 wickets at 31.43 runs/wicket
  9. Mushtaq Ahmed (World 37) 161 wickets at 33.29 runs/wicket
    *]Abdul Qadir (World # greater than 50) **132 **wickets at 26.16 runs/wicket
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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Good for him. If he used 0.1% of his brain, he could have an average of 60+ litterally. He is capable of that range, but unfortunately, his best time (6) years of his career wasted by sending him at the top, unneccessarily. And the hitman fame got to his mind that still haunts him.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

^ yeah...same brain that suddenly if all electric when he is bowling and fielding....

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

good for him, now only if he had not wasted so many games to get 'em.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

He could well have had 8,000+ runs in ODI's and played a lot more test cricket by now but Afridi + use of brain = no match!

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Could have
Would have
Should have

Lots of coulds woulds shoulds. Its time we stopped playing the IF this or IF that game. Shahid Afridi is what he is. He isnt a kid anymore. If he had to improve he wouldve improved a long time ago. You cant teach an old dog new tricks. He does what he feels like. He's just lucky to be born in Pakistan. Because in Pakistan(i Cricket) you only need to perform once in 10 games to guarantee your berth for the next 2 years. Think Mohammad Sami.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Cheegum, please think of him as a bowling allrounder rather than a batting allrounder. His bowling and fielding is good enough for any ODI side; his batting is just bonus maal.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Well, Mohammad Hafeez has a bowling average of 32.47 as opposed to Afridi's 35.38 / wicket. So I certainly doubt that his bowling alone is good enough for him to be chosen for any 'TOP' ODI side.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Afridi when at his peak one of the most devastating batsmen in world cricket right now. Why?
He has a above 100 strike rate in all ODI, Test, and Twenty20 cricket.
And yes as The Game stated, he is a bowling allrounder. Even his debut was as a legspinner. When he suddenly got everyone's attention by hitting the fastest ODI century he rose to fame as a batsman.
When Afridi is in the team, every opponent thinks multiple times, before taking him lightly. No doubt his recent form has probably led them to believe that he is a hit and miss batsmen. But that in itself is a good enough reason to have in the team. His batting position at 5 or 6 six down is ideal.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Afridi also holds a record of lowest average for any batsman who has completed 5000 runs in ODI cricket. :)

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

^ Thats ok. He is a pinch hitting bowler who can make many teams pee in their pants when he starts hitting those 32 runs in one over.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Afridi needs to push his one-day average up from 23 to around 30 before he can be regarded as a genuine one-day all-rounder

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

go Afridi. He just needs to be a bit more reliable and not score 70+ in one game and just one run in another game :-s

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

23.37 :hmmm:

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Firstly, Afridi's bowling has improved tremendously in the latter part of his career, and thus eventually his average will be fine by the end of his career. Secondly, how many matches has Hafeez played as compared to Afridi? Third, I do not like comparing averages of bowlers; can you get the strike rate for both bowlers and compare them again (Hafeez might edge out again but that's because of the less number of games he has played). Fourth point, just to vent out some frustration, Hafeez is an even worse bat than Afridi :o . Thank you.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

After the worst ever performance by a test team in the world cup, we managed to win 2 matches against a less-than full strength Srilankans and we are back in groove. Bravo

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

Very well said & that toooo on dead Abu Dhabi wicket.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

^ We could've lost the series on that dead wicket too but we didn't! Gotta have a positive approach sometimes.

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Re: Afridi 5000 Runs 200 Wkts: Pakistan Cricket Back in Groove

i think there are only 2 other all rounders in the world with 200+ wickets as well as 5000+ runs... Jayasuriya and Kallis. Did I miss anyone? Razzaq is within 500 runs of joining the club but I dont think if there is another one. so it doesnt matter how useless afridi is or how bad his averages are, but he belongs to a group that only has 3 players.

Paindoo list...