The Pathan was in the team in the four nation tournament at Nairobi in 1996 as a replacement of Mushtaq Ahmed. In his second ODI he turned the world upside down with a jaw dropping 100 off 37 balls! The bowler’s tag was replaced by the batsman’s tag. Since then the ladies heart throbbing Pakistani boy, Shahid Khan Afridi was a hard hitting run machine, batting high up the order who could roll his arm over when needed.
But as the time progressed the Pathan’s batting form slumped but his bowling got better and better. In recent times, since being made the Pakistan captain, the poster boy Afridi’s bowling has been a joy to watch. He takes wickets when needed and he is in the habit of picking the scalps of the big guns. Now a day he is a bowling all-rounder and he bats lower down the order.
What has made Afridi’s bowling more lethal? To me it’s the hunger to take wickets that has made Afridi from a good to a better bowler. Afridi thinks as the man to lead the Pakistan bowling attack. Like the Lion Imran, Afridi is leading from the front with his bowling performance. Again, the Pathan’s bowling has many dimensions at present.
In the past Afridi didn’t mix his deliveries that much. He depended on the batsmen to make mistakes but at present he with his wily spin bowling puzzles the batsmen. Afridi’s faster deliveries are simply too hard to pick. It just unleashes suddenly leaving the batsmen clueless whether to play it forward or back. His googlies have improved and it just bites the dust after an attacking flight, which the legendary Abdul Qadir once exhibited. If there are two googlies then one would be an orthodox legspinner while an offspinner will show up either after a googly or a legspin. But you can’t predict when the faster one is at you.
But overall, his mental approach has changed towards his bowling. He bowls to take wickets, and he loves to see the batsmen being harassed. His bowling is not only a matter of immense joy but a revolution in Pakistan cricket. That’s bowler Afridi for you.
But as the time progressed the Pathan’s batting form slumped but his bowling got better and better. In recent times, since being made the Pakistan captain, the poster boy Afridi’s bowling has been a joy to watch. He takes wickets when needed and he is in the habit of picking the scalps of the big guns. Now a day he is a bowling all-rounder and he bats lower down the order.
What has made Afridi’s bowling more lethal? To me it’s the hunger to take wickets that has made Afridi from a good to a better bowler. Afridi thinks as the man to lead the Pakistan bowling attack. Like the Lion Imran, Afridi is leading from the front with his bowling performance. Again, the Pathan’s bowling has many dimensions at present.
In the past Afridi didn’t mix his deliveries that much. He depended on the batsmen to make mistakes but at present he with his wily spin bowling puzzles the batsmen. Afridi’s faster deliveries are simply too hard to pick. It just unleashes suddenly leaving the batsmen clueless whether to play it forward or back. His googlies have improved and it just bites the dust after an attacking flight, which the legendary Abdul Qadir once exhibited. If there are two googlies then one would be an orthodox legspinner while an offspinner will show up either after a googly or a legspin. But you can’t predict when the faster one is at you.
But overall, his mental approach has changed towards his bowling. He bowls to take wickets, and he loves to see the batsmen being harassed. His bowling is not only a matter of immense joy but a revolution in Pakistan cricket. That’s bowler Afridi for you.
