06-21-2009, 03:55 AM
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Sipahi
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 9
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Shahid Khan Afridi : An Enigmatic Phenomena
Cast your minds back a decade . The year is 1996 , the month is October , the venue is Nairobi and Pakistan is playing against the dynamic current world champions Sri Lanka who had most recently dethroned Australia and won the World Cup less then a year ago . Pakistan batted first and as soon as the first wicket fell , a young 16 year old boy entered the arena . Few had heard or seen this youngster , he was an unknown entity . Few could have perceived what they were about to witness would be one of the most privledge experience they would witness and a memory they could share with their grandchildren in decades to come . A fair , well built , young Pathan by the name of Shahid Afridi walked in and exploded onto the scene with the fastest ODI century off 37 balls , a record which still stands and will most probably remain for long periods . It was perhaps the most entertaining , enthralling and action packed batting any cricket fan had seen and continues to persist strongly in our minds till today , a decade on . However , that very innings which was Afridi's debut innings the underlying factor that the Pathan hasn't fulfilled the immense potential and unequivocal talent he possesses . Tagged a 'pinch hitter' initially , restricted to being a 'One day Player' , and expected to hit the cricket ball into oblivion on every ball he faced at the crease in every innings since then , Afridi encountered pressure and mass expectations beyond any cricketer's capabilities . Fame he did gain , yet his 37 ball hundred has restricted him from becoming a consistent weapon that could torment ad destruct opposition bowling attacks on a regular basis . Whilst Afridi's counterparts such as Sehwag , Gayle , Gilchrist , who maintain a similar batting attitude to the Pathan have gone on to destroy bowling attacks around the world and consistently win matches for their teams . Afridi has merely become a bit part batsman who has lost his apetite for runs with the course of time . Gone are the days when he would cast fear into bowlers psyche .Few and far are the days when he would single handedly win matches for Pakistan with his destructive and exploding batting . If there is one thing that has remained during time and has not waned , it is Afridi's strong fan base and the aura surrounding him on every occasion he comes to the crease . Pakistan's victory on Friday against the South Africans in a high pressure cooker situation with the Pakistanis requiring some individual brilliance to outshine the tournament favourites , Shahid Afridi once again rised to the occasion and deminstrated just why he is still a force to be reckoned with and that the obvious enthusiasm and excitement that he brings to cricket still remains . His batting style and attitude remain the same , just like his demeanour . His audacious shots which fetched him three fours of Botha's first over displayed that even after the best of a decade since his arrival in international cricket , Afridi can only play the Afridi way and it was a relief to see it pay dividend after so long . The typical Pakistani fan senses frustration with his every dismissal and reckless shot yet it is those outrageous shots which cause excitement within a stadium and strike terror in a bowlers repetoire . There is not a shadow of doubt that Afridi has improved his bowling significantly as the years have gone by , offering variety , spin , and intelligence . Having more then filled the void left by the lack of a genuine spinner in the team since the departure of Saqlain , so much more is expected of Afridi because of the fact that he possesses such outstanding potential that few have been gifted or born with . This innate talent to strike the cricket ball the way he does and the way he can makes you feel that if only he could play more consistently , he would still win many more matches for Pakistan . His innings against south Africa , followed by his outstanding haul fo two wickets in four overs left the audience baffled , bewildered and satisfied knowing that Afridi still has it and that he is still here to stay . He may not strike the ball the way he used to , he may have lost some of that hand eye co ordination upon which he used to rely on to send the ball into oblivion , but he still has enough to destroy the best bowlers around . You can not help but love the way he plays . Understanding him would require sense but what has sense got to do it . He really is a true example of an Enigmatic Phenomenan .
Article by Sharez
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