The Mind of Shahid Khan Afridi
For most cricketers at the top-level, there are two kinds of games: test cricket and one day cricket. Both require different temperaments and approaches. While one day cricket wants you to be aggressive, innovative and hit out in a controlled manner, test match cricket requires a careful evaluation of the situation, a patient yet controlling demeanor and most of all, an ability to pace your innings.
Not so for one gentleman called, Shahid Khan Afridi.
For Afridi, batting involves only two types of balls: either a ball is hittable, or its not. If a ball is hittable, its hittable and should be hit hard, high and as long as possible. What difference does it make whether its a test game or one day cricket? And by the way, almost every ball can be or made to be hittable, as well.
And no. Not everyone can pull off such callous disregard for fundamentals of cricket. It requires a special talent and immense wrist power to do what Afridi does. And it requires a supreme command over hand-eye coordination and an ability to read not only the ball earlier, but the mind of the bowler, much before the ball is bowled. And after a while its easy for him to know that the bowler is mentally tormented with shattered confidence. And he should know because he has made it happen.
Someone said to me yesterday, “why is Afridi in the test team?” This was when Pakistan was 73-3 and in a fairly precarious situation. The point being that our tail is exposed and (after dropping Hasan Raza) there are no more dependable or specialist batsmen are in the lineup if if one more wicket falls. At that point my answer was “because he is Afridi and no team in the world could afford not to play a person of so much ability and talent”. By the end of the day, the point was moot.
Its not so much as to what Afridi can do with the bat. Its almost as important what he does to the heads of his opponents. I can make a safe bet that before the test in Faisalabad started, at least half the time of English strategic preparation was focused on how to control Afridi. The rapid fire bowling and fielding changes brought on by Vaughan, when “Boom Boom” Afridi came to bat were a result of careful planning. Not that it mattered anyway. I am sure England, or any side could not believe how could Pakistan team management even consider not playing Afridi in any game, whether its a test or a one-day.
Its not so much as to how many runs Afridi makes. Its the way he gets those runs that completely destroys not only the line and length of the bowlers, but their confidence in their own abilities. Afridi makes the ball disappear in the stands, when the ball deserved nothing of the sort. And the bowler walks back to his mark, scratching his head and thinking “what am I supposed to bowl to this guy”. I saw the despair in English bowlers’ face yesterday, Flintoff notwithstanding, and it reminded me of the faces of Indian bowlers in the last series, and prior to that, the Australian bowlers (I didn’t watch the Windies series). Its the same face you’d get if after making the most effort on your science project, you still end up with a D- and a sinking heart full of dread for your next project. All these bowlers should band together and start an “Afridi Anonymous” organization to provide peer-therapy for the scars he has inflicted.
Afridi can get out on the first ball tomorrow. Or he can stay to make a century. Vaughan must be feeling very desolate yesterday night after dropping what is considered a “dolly” at international level. No one is foolish enough to make a bet on how long Afridi will stay on the crease. If the first over from the second new ball was any indication, the ball is swinging rather extremely and Afridi is always susceptible to his own exuberance, but his mark is firmly cast on this game.
While I feel sorry for Yousuf’s doubtful dismissal, the come-hither sign given to him from Pakistan dressing room, was perhaps an indication of what they expect Afridi to deliver. And he did. With explosive power. We are lucky to be living in Afridi-era and will tell our grand kids “I saw him play. Live!”. And they will be awed.
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Written for Gupshup
By: Faisal
He is fast learner.I still suck.