Power of Shahid Afridi

[bahadurhussain]

I've been frustrated as hell with Afridi at times, but not because I've wanted him to "bat with responsibility" i.e. slow and sensible, which is not in his nature. And the team hasn't given him any responsibility to do so, only to work miracles when the match is stuffed. I've always said that if he's in the side, he needs to be a top order batsman. Sure, it's great to see him hit winning runs from time to time, but if we really want to see the best of explosive and game changing batting from Afridi, he should open like he used to. And that way, if it doesn't come off, and he gets out cheap, the rest of the team can adapt to it, instead of acting disappointed in Afridi all the time when it's always, always the fault of our top order for collapsing, not his for trying to bail them out.
Afridi is a very fine LO spinner, but we should stop pretending that he's in the team as a bowler alone. He's had massive slumps in recent years, going wicketless for long periods, leading him to being dropped. Everyone knows he's really in the team because of his violent potential with the bat, which compliments his bowling, so we should be doing what we can to harness that, not hinder it.
Once I again, I am counting a lot on him partly because of his stunning innings in the warm up match against NZ. But I know that's something I am not supposed to do, but the heart wants what the heart wants.

Here is the innings of Afridi the magnificent against NZ: https://clip.mn/tag/NTJlYTg5MTI

 

[cnerd123]

I actually agree that he should be opening tbh.

 

[Dan]

Pakistan has good openers but few decent finishers though.

 

[harsh.ag]

The biggest casualty of this World Cup is the first page of CC.

 

[cnerd123]

Pakistan has good openers but few decent finishers though.

Afridi is an awful finisher tho. No consistency. And despite the innings linked to above, is he really the man you want walking in at 130/6?

Much better off as a boom-or-bust at the start of the innings IMO.

 

[Dan]

Afridi is an awful finisher tho. No consistency. And despite the innings linked to above, is he really the man you want walking in at 130/6?

Much better off as a boom-or-bust at the start of the innings IMO.

Yeah, he's awful because he's basically Tim Southee bowling leg spin. Whether he's at 1 or 6, he's not an international batsman in the slightest. He's a #8 who can play the pinch-hitter role. Unfortunately with Hafeez banned from bowling, they have to utilise Afridi as an actual all-rounder.

 

[Swingpanzee]

Afridi is not a match winner, but a match looser.

 

[Antihippy]

Yeah, he's awful because he's basically Tim Southee bowling leg spin. Whether he's at 1 or 6, he's not an international batsman in the slightest. He's a #8 who can play the pinch-hitter role. Unfortunately with Hafeez banned from bowling, they have to utilise Afridi as an actual all-rounder.

Even if Hafeez isn't banned from bowling wouldn't afridi usually do 5-10 overs anyway?

He sure as hell isn't in the side as a batsman.

 

[Dan]

Yeah, but then you could pick an additional batsman with Afridi at 8. Here, to get the 5th bowler in, you either have to get Afridi in at 7 and pick 4 specialists following him, or pick Afridi + 3 bowlers + 10 overs out of Haris/Shehzad/Younis Khan

Shehzad
Hafeez (5)
Younis
Sohaib
Misbah
Haris (6)
Sarfraz +
Afridi (4)
Quick (3)
Quick (2)
Irfan (1)

tl;dr -- Afridi is functionally a bowler who chips in with the bat, not a genuine all-rounder.

 

[Daemon]

He's a superior version of Thisara Perera