Afridi's recent batting form?

[Richard]

He certainly can't possibly enjoy scoring runs, or he'd try to do it more often.

 

[SJS]

has Shahid Afridi totally forgotten how to bat? His form has been terrible.

Are you a Pakistan supporter? I suppose you are, seeing you are from Peshawar.

I must clarify why I ask. I find it is almost impossible to say anything against Afridi's batting without some Pakistani fan or the other jumping at me to say that there is nothing wrong with him whatsoever and that this is the way he plays and this is the way he SHOULD play and that all that is wrong is that the Pakistani captains are stupid not to send him at the top of the order where he can do maximum damage and so on and so on and so on.

I am an Indian fan but my second favourite side has always been Pakistan although of late it is becoming painful to watch them. But to watch Afridi bat is not just painful, it is a toss up between being rolling on the floor in mirth and tearing one's hair in frustration depending on whether he does his, now routine, stupid act against India or another side.

But a Pakistani fan will stand no criticism of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar even if between the two of them they cause the ruination of the side.

I am sorry if this is sounding like raving and ranting but trust me this comes from the bottom of the heart of someone who would love Pakistan cricket to get back to its glorious heights but is frustrated at the stupidity of considering mindless devotion to old have beens of the 200 kms club in bowling and bird brained sloggers in batting.

There is nothing wrong with Afridi's batting performance and the results he is bringing in. This exactly what he should be scoring with his attitude to the game.

Mind you I said attitude and not skills or technique.

The only Pakistani cricketer with less brains than Afridi in recent times is Sami but then he is an all time 'Chump-ion'

 

[Richard]

Are you a Pakistan supporter? I suppose you are, seeing you are from Peshawar.

I must clarify why I ask. I find it is almost impossible to say anything against Afridi's batting without some Pakistani fan or the other jumping at me to say that there is nothing wrong with him whatsoever and that this is the way he plays and this is the way he SHOULD play and that all that is wrong is that the Pakistani captains are stupid not to send him at the top of the order where he can do maximum damage and so on and so on and so on.

I am an Indian fan but my second favourite side has always been Pakistan although of late it is becoming painful to watch them. But to watch Afridi bat is not just painful, it is a toss up between being rolling on the floor in mirth and tearing one's hair in frustration depending on whether he does his, now routine, stupid act against India or another side.

But a Pakistani fan will stand no criticism of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar even if between the two of them they cause the ruination of the side.

So, so true. And such a shame.

Mind, they're not all that bad - at least, most of those on here aren't. Hopefully this fella isn't either.

I am sorry if this is sounding like raving and ranting but trust me this comes from the bottom of the heart of someone who would love Pakistan cricket to get back to its glorious heights but is frustrated at the stupidity of considering mindless devotion to old have beens of the 200 kms club in bowling and bird brained sloggers in batting.

Always so love your turn of phrase.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Some West Indian specialist batsmen make Afridi look a class act...

Brenton Parchment? Who else?

 

[Prince EWS]

Brenton Parchment? Who else?

Dwayne Smith was selected as a specialist batsman in his first few matches, was he not?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Dwayne Smith was selected as a specialist batsman in his first few matches, was he not?

In those first few matches he was pretty effective though. He's been bowling for practically all the time that he's been terrible with the bat, so it's not fair to call him a specialist.

 

[Fusion]

But a Pakistani fan will stand no criticism of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar even if between the two of them they cause the ruination of the side.

I am sorry if this is sounding like raving and ranting but trust me this comes from the bottom of the heart of someone who would love Pakistan cricket to get back to its glorious heights but is frustrated at the stupidity of considering mindless devotion to old have beens of the 200 kms club in bowling and bird brained sloggers in batting.

I think you'll find that plenty of Pakistani fans despise Afridi and Akhtar, and have so for a long time. It's just that our voices get drowned by fan-boys of the two. The "casual" cricket fan in Pakistan would of course go for "Boom Boom Afridi" and the "Rawalpindi Express", as opposed to less flashy players like Yousaf, Younis, or Gul. This is not to say that both Afridi and Akthar are completely devoid of talent. In the case of Akhtar, there is considerable talent there, wasted by indiscipline and lack of fitness. Afridi could make a useful ODI player, if used primarily as a bowler who can bat a bit. However, the point is that neither fulfilled their potential to the full extent and should've been axed from the teams long ago (each for different reasons).

 

[Mard]

Are you a Pakistan supporter? I suppose you are, seeing you are from Peshawar.

I must clarify why I ask. I find it is almost impossible to say anything against Afridi's batting without some Pakistani fan or the other jumping at me to say that there is nothing wrong with him whatsoever and that this is the way he plays and this is the way he SHOULD play and that all that is wrong is that the Pakistani captains are stupid not to send him at the top of the order where he can do maximum damage and so on and so on and so on.

I am an Indian fan but my second favourite side has always been Pakistan although of late it is becoming painful to watch them. But to watch Afridi bat is not just painful, it is a toss up between being rolling on the floor in mirth and tearing one's hair in frustration depending on whether he does his, now routine, stupid act against India or another side.

But a Pakistani fan will stand no criticism of Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Akhtar even if between the two of them they cause the ruination of the side.

I am sorry if this is sounding like raving and ranting but trust me this comes from the bottom of the heart of someone who would love Pakistan cricket to get back to its glorious heights but is frustrated at the stupidity of considering mindless devotion to old have beens of the 200 kms club in bowling and bird brained sloggers in batting.

There is nothing wrong with Afridi's batting performance and the results he is bringing in. This exactly what he should be scoring with his attitude to the game.

Mind you I said attitude and not skills or technique.

The only Pakistani cricketer with less brains than Afridi in recent times is Sami but then he is an all time 'Chump-ion'

this is not true now, perhaps it was true few years ago, but pakistani cricket for the 2-3 has been declining and Afridi and other senoirs have taken a lot of blame for that. In my opinion Afridi is very unpopular now, almost every body in pakistan is saying he should be kicked out of the team, you should watch pakistani tv channels

 

[SJS]

I think you'll find that plenty of Pakistani fans despise Afridi and Akhtar, and have so for a long time. It's just that our voices get drowned by fan-boys of the two. The "casual" cricket fan in Pakistan would of course go for "Boom Boom Afridi" and the "Rawalpindi Express", as opposed to less flashy players like Yousaf, Younis, or Gul.

That could well be so. The same goes for India and Indian fans. I am, however, not so sure about how many is 'plenty'. In India I find that amongst the general public, the "casual" cricket fans as you call them (I prefer cricket illiterates), are in a massive majority. The CW is not the best place to judge their proportions.

Either way, it is sad and a terrible indictment of the way the game is being run and projected for the times to come.

 

[SJS]

this is not true now, perhaps it was true few years ago, but pakistani cricket for the 2-3 has been declining and Afridi and other senoirs have taken a lot of blame for that. In my opinion Afridi is very unpopular now, almost every body in pakistan is saying he should be kicked out of the team, you should watch pakistani tv channels

The last time sometime told me off on Afridi was just a couple of months ago and I have also heard 'learned' Pakistani men say on both electronic and print media that he should be sent higher up around the same time.

 

[SJS]

It was just a couple of months back that someone started a thread to ask who was better between Afridi and Jayasuriya. He made it clear what he himself thought with this thread starter.

we all know Jayasuriya is a much better batsmen. but who would you have on the team just as a pinch hitter? jayasuriya is more reliable but afridi is more destructive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4h-cmqEXMw

This was followed by arguments for both sides but in a thread which lsted just a single page their were a few who thought like this.

afridi for me

Jayasuriya as a batsman by a mile, but I reckon Afridi as a pure pinch hitter. With 5 or so overs to go in a match, I'd pick Afridi for sure. McCullum probably falls in that category as well.

its gota b shahid afridi, jayasuriya is old fashioned and boring plus retired well pretty much

Well, the short answer is explosiveness. Akin to Jessop being similarly remembered. And this is no Hirwani/Massie type flash-in-the-pan. He played for 253 ODI’s. With most records for fast-scoring bearing his name. Indelible records will stand the test of time, particularly the 37 ball hundred.

Combine his ‘idiotic’ batting with an art that requires guile (LBG) and one would be hard-pressed to find a similar character. The generation of today will tell those of tomorrow how crowds would leave on Afridi’s departure.

I believe his place in ODI history is secure. And will be so for a long time.

Not sure if one or more of these are pakistani fans though.

 

[Jonty Lathwal]

In recent past Afridi has been dissapointing with his batting....
although his bowlng has been very good...

i think he bats better as an opener.......

 

[Richard]

It was just a couple of months back that someone started a thread to ask who was better between Afridi and Jayasuriya. He made it clear what he himself thought with this thread starter.

​

This was followed by arguments for both sides but in a thread which lsted just a single page their were a few who thought like this.

​

​

​

Not sure if one or more of these are pakistani fans though.

All so, UIMM.

 

[SJS]

i think he bats better as an opener.......

Lets check that out.

• 6 (2) (Asia XI)
• 0 (4) (Asia XI)
• 19 (18)
• 2 (10)
• 23 (27)
• 1 (6)
• 32 (29)
• 0 (4)
• 12 (7)

Those are Mr. Shahid Khan Afridi's last nine innings as an opener in ODI's (the last being at the bottom of that list in November 2007).

These are spread over the period August 2005 and November 2007 - since no innings as opener since then. So the argument of recent loss of form does not hold I am afraid.

This is a grand total of 104 runs at 11.4 per innings.

Seven of those innings are for Pakistan and they lost five of those games. The wins came in the game in which he scored 32(7th on that list) and the 4th on that list where they were chasing a miserable 130 at 2.93 runs per over by Sri Lanka !

Can Pakistan be blamed for not letting Mr. Shahid Khan 'boom-howzatt-out' Afridi open again after November 2007 ? If Afridi's opening the innings is going to result in 6 losses in 7 games (I am not suggesting he alone was responsible for the losses) why should they listen to crazed fans who think a macho-air-between-ears-Pathan will do what sensible batting can't.

No Sir. Mr. Afridi has done nothing to deserve a return to the opener's slot.

PS : Please note that the 32 in 29 balls (strike rate 105) is good enough while the 6 in two balls (strike rate 300) is not. But are you going to tell that to Mr Shahid 'Jessop' Afridi ?

 

[SJS]

By the way, during the same period, Afridi played 27 innings at other slots in the order, scoring 471 runs at 19.6 each.

More importantly, he had scores of 31, 34, 77*, 73*, 47, 31 and 29* which surely furthered his team's cause more than his f(l)ailings at the top.

Also, 25 of those innings are for Pakistan in which he averages 20.6. Pakistan won 13 of those games in which he batted lower and another two in which he was scheduled to bat lower but did not get to bat.

Q. E. D.

 

[Lambu]

Sorry just don't think he is a batsman...he was and remains to this day a pich hitter.Can't talk of parameters like form,avg etc for pich hitters.Hell,Irfan Pathan learnt some batting after getting promoted as pich hitter.This guy just refuses to learn.

 

[Mard]

It was just a couple of months back that someone started a thread to ask who was better between Afridi and Jayasuriya. He made it clear what he himself thought with this thread starter.

​

This was followed by arguments for both sides but in a thread which lsted just a single page their were a few who thought like this.

​

​

​

Not sure if one or more of these are pakistani fans though.

Afridi's popularity in pakistan now is at its lowest ever. May be before the IPL he was still popular not sure

 

[Fusion]

Why is Afridi still in the side for tomorrow's game?

The decision to keep Afridi is one last punt, part-hope, part-hunch, after selectors had decided to drop him. "I have a feeling, nothing technical, that he just might do something tomorrow," admitted one. Pakistan in need of another bounce-back.

So now we know why he keeps getting selected after failing time and time again.

 

[SJS]

Why is Afridi still in the side for tomorrow's game?

The decision to keep Afridi is one last punt, part-hope, part-hunch, after selectors had decided to drop him. "I have a feeling, nothing technical, that he just might do something tomorrow," admitted one. Pakistan in need of another bounce-back.

So now we know why he keeps getting selected after failing time and time again.

Exactly.

If he fails today, maybe, just maybe, he will be dropped but God help Pakistan if he scores a fifty. 'They' will be jumping up and down in the 'aisles' shouting "We told you so" and he will be booked for another year in the side.

In his last 58 ODI's, 50 innings, since August 2005, he has scored just three fifties of which one was against Mughabe's minnows.

The other two came in the first half of 2007.

Well, Pakistan has waited a long time for his next fifty, if he manages another today, they may be willing to wait for another fifty matches for the next blue moon

 

[haroon510]

bowling wise he average 32 as well from july 2nd 07 to july 2 2008