I am not going through details of his tenure as a captain but I think just going by today’s match he is a defensive + selfish captain.
A) He brought in Umar Gul a little too late for his last spell. Personally I think Gul should have been brought back atleast 5-7 overs before that to try and mop up the tail and instead of just letting the match follow we should have tried to shut out Aussies as quickly as possible. That for me was defensive.
B) Why did he bring back Rehman to finish his overs yet changed Razzaq even though Razzaq picked up 2 wickets without giving much away. I know Razzaq was replaced by Gul but Gul could have either came from the other end or he should have switced Razzaq’s end. Why did he let Razzaq bowl only 4 overs when Razzaq was bowling well but he came back himself to try and get a wicket. That for me was selfish.
C) Why does he always come ahead of Razzaq in the batting order, specially if he only is going to play one way. Personally I think Razzaq should always come ahead of Afridi unless there is only 4-5 overs left and he can come and go boom boom. That for me is stupid and selfish.
His captaincy was definitely flawed. Ultra defensive fields even when Australia was on the mat, down for the count. No pressure exerted on new batsmen. Sticking to the same old script as far as bowling changes go. Razzaq being introduced so late was criminal, especially on a wicket which suited his bowling. Even after his success, Rehman was preferred. There was a definitely a period in the game during the late 30 overs that the game was drifting.
The emphasis is always on containment, and not wicket taking. While this can work when you are defending a total, it is hardly ideal when you are trying to bowl a struggling side out. As always, his batting comes with zero expectations, and while it is obvious he could care less about that aspect of his game, then he should adjust his spot in the order to reflect that.
Not only Afridi but also Ponting was a bit defensive IMO
It makes sense to have your main strike bowlers bowling when the opposition is down but there is a slight snag to it. What if your main bowlers fail to take any more wickets or complete the job, then you will be left with your lesser bowlers bowling not just the last 5-10 overs but also in batting PP. That could be risky too
I agree that Razzaq was underbowled by Afridi for some reason. Also agree that Razzaq should bat higher than Afridi because he is simply a better batsman + more calm under pressure
When Ramiz asked him about his stroke, he should have deplored and humiliate himself as a token punishment in public. How on earth a captain could be so selfish?
His new funds: he loves to boost himself as a bowler so that he doesn’t have to be answerable as a batsman. How lame!
He is not aggressive with his field placings. That is granted. But yesterday he did have slip for new batsmen and blocked singles and was as aggressive with his field placings as he was. He brought Razzaq for Clarke knowing Clarke will play spin well.
However, we all know what happened with Razzaq in power plays so he brought himself on. I dont think that was selfish. We can disagree here.
And yes he should let Razzaq come before himself considering he is struggling for runs.
I guess I have compared Razzaq and Afridi alot on this forum.... I like Afridi, the main thing he has done for team is that he kept unit united. I think this is the hardest thing for Pakistani Captain. After that he has been an awful captain. For some reason he thinks he is better batsman than Razzaq and for some reason he thinks Hafiz is better bowler than Razzaq.
Avg. and economy wise Razzaq is better bowler than Afridi as well, even after Afridi has done his best to avoid Razzaq from bowling more than 5 overs.
I think Afridi might be scared that Razzaq is the only senior player who can replace Afridi as captain, I hope i have come up with wrong conclusion If Afridi Brings the cup home then we can ignore these minor issues.
Lol Waleed bahi, Yaar App ka Afridi Pathan hai na, he is never gona use his mind.
Once Again Afridi has done great job in keeping team united which is most important thing and hardest thing for Pakistani Captain. Since Inzamam this is the first time you dont see Party Bazi in team. Younis, Mohammed Yousaf and Shoaib Malik they all failed in keeping unit Together.
To bhai kya hua agar woh pathan hai…Main cheez kya hai…We are winning and his captaincy has been brilliant so far sirf woh NZ walay match mein nhe ki thi theek and we lost that one…Against Australians he was at his best…Im not defending his shot but remember he will play a match winning innings Either tomorrow or in the semis
Waleed Bahi, Sometimes you do right things and loose, at times you do mistakes and end up winning. However, this doesnt mean these mistakes wont hurt you in long learn. Afridi needs to learn that Razzaq is more stable than him, so in situation when wickets r lost and run rate isnt an issue. Razzaq shld come ahead of Afridi. He did this once in NZ and lost the game. He did it again against Australia on Saturday and put pressure on Pakistan. I hope he doesnt do something stupid that wud cost us a game in Knock Outs.
Maybe You should be the frikkin manager of the team dont ya think talking about it easy .. its what acting upon it is the hard part ..dont be picky … he got the team through so far didnt he .. look at the bigger pic dude..
Afridi already said that Razzaq will come before him now and i know Razzaq is a match winner…even A big match player than Afridi…Hope both of them fires
This is a wasted thread. He is taking Pak to wins. No one is perfect. Let it slide.
Does any one remember what Imran Khan our great reputed Captain and acclaimed Legend said in his 1992 Cup acceptance speech?
He said"In the twilight of my career "I" managed to win the world cup"
So does that mean that we disown Imran and start bashing him? There were no forums back then otherwise I am sure all HELL would have broken loose.
So leave Afridi alone. Please. We already know he has weaknesses. Atleast he is not a SORE LOSER and whiner...
He acted humbly even when Ramiz rubbed it in.."please don't ask..It was a very irresponsible shot, specially today and from Captain"
