The Afridi factor: nothing short of brilliant

COMMENT – Called up as a leg-spinner straight out of the under-19 squad to fill in for the injured Mushtaq Ahmad in 1996, Shahid Afridi made his first impact on international cricket with the willow instead. Smashing a century off only 37 deliveries in his very first innings not only made him enter the record books but also elevated him to the status of a super star – overnight. His fearless style of batting made him an instant hit, earning him the nickname of ‘Boom Boom’.
His super stardom, however, came along with a lot of glamour and a fair share of controversies. The poster boy of several brands, and of late owner of a local clothing line, Afridi just like every other super star to don the Pakistan greens had been marred by numerous controversies. From sledging to thrusting his bat at a spectator, and from scuffing the pitch to biting the ball, he seems to have done it all on the field. Off the field, as well, he has been a key figure in the team politics over the years, and has had quite a few scuffles with the administration, the most recent one leading to his ‘conditional’ retirement.
While his mighty hitting has sent chills down the spines of bowlers around the world, and his controversies have been the talk of the town, Afridi has rather quietly established himself as the most prolific leg-spinner in the post-Warne era. Afridi is ranked ninth on the all-time ODI wicket-takers list, ahead of Warne, and in the last 10 years his tally is only topped by Brett Lee and Muthiah Muralitharan. His ability to economically get through the middle overs has been integral to our success over the years, and his knack of breaking partnerships and getting wickets at critical junctures has led Pakistan to glory at various instances. A testament to his match-winning abilities is the fact that in each of the 10 matches in which he has taken four or more wickets, Pakistan has gone on to win the match.
Often criticised for being inconsistent with the bat, he has been as consistent a performer as anyone with the ball. While bowlers who rely on variations eventually get worked out by the batsmen and hence become easier to face, Afridi’s variations have become even more bamboozling for batsmen around the world. With 40 wickets in 24 matches at an average of 20.95 in 2011, including the tournament-leading 21 wickets at in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, the leg-spinning all-rounder seems to have peaked at the age of 31. And with a vast bowling arsenal, that includes the traditional leg-break, two googlies, a conventional off-break and a devastating faster one, and the ability to mix things up with deadly accuracy, he has been unplayable as of late.
Electrifying in the field and the holder of several batting records, including the fastest ODI hundred, most sixes in an ODI career, and the youngest ODI centurion, it has been with the ball that he has had the biggest impact on the game. Watching him stand in the middle of the pitch, hands aloft, fingers pointing towards heavens to celebrate a wicket has become the most gratifying visual for every Afridi fan. And while many of his fans may feel disappointed every time he falls doing a reckless slog, it should come as a source of solace that it was for his bowling that he was brought in, and what he has achieved as a spinner over his career has been nothing short of brilliant.