The stage was set around 16 years ago, a flamboyant 16 year old took the cricketing world by storm, stroking the fastest century ever in merely 37 balls, a record that still stands today, high and mighty above the rest. To his supporters, the day immediately made him a legend, destined for greatness and their view is unlikely to change – come what may.

By Salaar Shamsi (16th September 2012)

The stage was set around 16 years ago, a flamboyant 16 year old took the cricketing world by storm, stroking the fastest century ever in merely 37 balls, a record that still stands today, high and mighty above the rest. To his supporters, the day immediately made him a legend, destined for greatness and their view is unlikely to change – come what may. However to his critics, the older version of Shahid Afridi is the “Peter Pan” of cricket – the young lad who refuses to mature in the cricketing sense, still reeking of youthful exuberance and unable to provide the stabilizing effect that an excitable team like Pakistan needs.

Afridi’s meteoric rise could be considered a twist of fate, after all, it was an untimely injury to Mushtaq Ahmed, which allowed him an entry into the Pakistan setup, yes, that was how he made his entrance, a leg spinner – a specialist spinner, not a bowling all-rounder, definitely not as a batting all-rounder. Then, how did he get up the batting order? As former captain, Wasim Akram will rather grimly admit, all it took, was a ghastly humid afternoon in Nairobi, an hour long session in the nets, Afridi with the willow in his hand and Pakistan’s star-studded bowling attack at his mercy, being torn to shreds.

It was hardly surprising then, a distinctly unknown talent, who had the potential to dominate, to intimidate, any bowling attack at will was pushed up the order. His arrival, thus, was a Godsend at a time when Pakistan lacked the explosive (an understatement for his batting in those days) firepower at the top order – especially in the short form of the game.

To Afridi’s critics, this is where the young boy never became a man, never realized his potential, never matured, essentially became another would be legend in a land where bestowing hyperbole like "legend" is a done thing for any number of new stars. Many of his critics would go as far as saying, Pakistan invested too much of time in him, waited way too long.

Not surprisingly, his supporters have a different perspective of how his gifts have turned into an unjust burden effecting his career - a ripple of pressure even ‘Lala’ was bound to crumble under. Managements changed, captains replaced, coaches sacked, ‘Lala’ stood firm, his insecurities became his strengths, despite being involved in the occasional on-field controversy, he tried to keep himself on good terms with the media, ensured they knew who he was, where he came from. To his credit, after being dropped half a dozen times, he finally realized his lives were running out, enforced the idea of dropping down the order, worked on his bowling and a time, managed to justify his place in the team.

It would be unfair to suggest he wasn't advised about bringing an element of maturity into his play. From the likes of Javed Miandad to his closest family members, many have confessed to having a heart to heart with Afridi over his 'Boom Boom' approach. However, almost a decade and a little more later, barely anything had changed

The nation, by and large still found itself drooling over Afridi – Mr. Boom Boom, the savior and the leader. Even Afridi himself, wouldn’t have predicted a stage where he would actually become the face of Pakistan Cricket. No picture book of Pakistani cricket complete without his handsome looks – no discussion on Pakistani cricket could end without his name mentioned.

His critics term this as one of the biggest disasters to strike the development of cricket in the country, when young boys saw a role-model in Shahid Afridi as they chose to imitate Afridi’s batting style ahead of that of Inzamam ul Haq or Mohammad Yousuf - making an idol out of the charismatic all-rounder.

In short, with a mixture of some astute marketing and entranced by his performances on the field, the nation had been “Lalafied” - a term manufactured by Afridi loyalists’ to show how ONE man’s charisma could easily render as inconsequential, the efforts of ten others! Afridi supporters may have felt this due to good reason – heroic performances of the 2009 World T20 and a reasonably competent display in the ICC World Cup in 2011 had helped enshrine him in the hearts of these fans as the warrior hero in the mould of Imran Khan. From that point on, there was no turning back - No one could ever be allowed to question Afridi’s ability or place in the team or indeed in history of Pakistani cricket. 

But the debate shows no signs of lessening in intensity. The war – for want of a better word – which pitches Afridi supporters versus supposed Anti-Afridi enthusiasts, has been waging on, for the better part of a decade now. Whatever the merits of the pro or anti Afridi position, the fact is that we still see, stadiums being emptied out with the fall of Afridi’s wicket regardless of Pakistan’s position in the game, televisions being switched over to a different channel if Afridi is missing or making another long walk, back to the pavilion. One could say that despite the strength of their arguments, none of us are truly “Anti-Afridi” or have an ‘agenda’ to have him unconditionally removed from the Pakistani lineup. This is primarily due to the fact that ALL of us, regardless of our opinions want to see Afridi lift himself up just that one more time and bring glory to the nation.

However, it is perhaps also important to remind those who invest their ‘blind faith’ in Shahid Afridi that, it’s Pakistan that makes Afridi who he is, not Afridi who makes Pakistan what it is. He will fail on occasions and it is possible that he may have lost the edge which he possessed earlier in his career – leaving him out or not considering him as a viable option for a Pakistani team is not akin to heresy. There will be a Pakistani team when Afridi does decide to hang his boots and the question, then, of you, Afridi loyalists', I ask, ’What will you do, when Afridi, God forbid, actually retires, for once and for all?' 

The memo to Afridi supporters, thus, simply reads “Pakistan first, Afridi second.” 

Discuss!