“I have said goodbye to international cricket. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country,” said former Pakistan captain SHAHID AFRIDI in Sharjah.
Shahid Afridi retires! He actually retires again. This time for sure, following a public announcement at the end of a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match in Sharjah. His legion of fans must be disappointed. They would never get to see an entertainer like this Pathan who firmly believed the ball was only meant to be hit hard and dismissed into orbit.
Afridi’s association with cricket goes back 21 years when he made his debut as a bowler against Kenya in the KCA Centenary Tournament. In the next match, and his first innings (he did not get to bat in his debut game), Afridi plundered a 37-ball century against Sri Lanka. Afridi as a batsman was what appealed to the cricket world more in times to come.
AFRIDI AS A BOWLER was crafty too at times but it was his brand of batting that gave this exciting stroke-maker a distinct identity. He was regarded a tough bowler to tackle because he brought variety to his leg-spin. Some of his deliveries would crash into the pads with the speed of a fast bowler.
I met him first in 1998 in Toronto for an interview for The Sportstar. I was warned not to shake hands because he could leave you with a hairline fracture with his extra-firm grip. He came across as a fun-loving and honest cricketer. “We can talk but only in Urdu. I am not comfortable with English,” he smiled and spoke his mind on the game.
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