Pakistan's Shahid Afridi makes a run against Australia during the one day international cricket match between Pakistan and Australia in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 22, 2009. (AP Photo/Andrew Parsons)
“Boom-Boom” is back! No, I’m not talking about an increase in carnal relations amongst the general populace. Shahid Afridi has announced his un-retirement from One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket.
The former Pakistan captain announced his conditional retirement back in May but, like Mr Burns in ‘The Simpsons’, Afridi has had one of his customary changes of heart.
Don’t be disappointed if you missed it: much like ‘The Simpsons’ these days, I’m not sure many people were paying attention.
Shahid does have a track record regarding retirement. He retired from Test cricket in 2006 only to return as captain for one Test against England at Lord’s in 2010.
Maybe he just liked the thought of playing a Test at a ground that lets you bring your own alcohol? It’s as good a theory as any.
He subsequently re-retired from Test cricket at the end of that match. It is fair to say that Afridi changes his mind more than he changes his underpants.
Having announced his latest un-retirement, ESPN Cricinfo quoted Afridi as saying “I didn’t as such retire. I only said I will not play under the previous board but now people are changed – exactly what I wanted – so I am available for selection for the country.”
So having taken his bat and ball home because he wasn’t getting his own way, albeit due to a board that were about as consistent and moral as Two-Face from Batman, Shahid now returns to the international arena. Hopefully not having eaten the ball he originally took away with him.
The announcement only comes as a surprise to the type of people who still find it surprising when Mitchell Johnson bowls badly. Afridi, a non-spinning leg spinner and slogging right-hand batsman, has the attention span of a goldfish with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and his decision to un-retire is probably mostly because he was bored.
“Boom-Boom” has a reputation as a big-hitting match winner but averages just 23.49 with the bat in ODI’s and 17.97 in Twenty20’s for Pakistan.
That being said, Afridi did lead Pakistan to a Semi-Final appearance in the ODI World Cup this year.
The weaknesses of his batting, the attention span of a gnat and a penchant for the unconventional, have actually helped his bowling. Shahid’s greatest contributions to Pakistan in the shorter formats of the game have come with the ball.
Shaihid has about as much patience as Ian Chappell has tolerance for sloppy fielding and he is consistently hustling in and hurrying the batsman. With subtle variations in pace, bounce and drift Afridi has taken 315 ODI wickets at 34.22 and 53 Twenty20 wickets at 18.96.
It looks unlikely that Afridi will return as captain for the Pakistan ODI and Twenty20 sides.
By the time you have finished reading this piece don’t be surprised if Afridi has had another change of heart.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
Marcus Stoinis produced his first IPL century and it was a beauty. He went 6, 4, 4, 4 to finish off the Lucknow Super…
Xavier Bartlett has been permission to extend his cricketing education with a spell of T20s in England, playing in the Blast competition for Kent…
Three-Test spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has signed with Tasmania in a bid for red-ball game time ahead of Australia's tour of Sri Lanka next summer.…
Last week, you read about the Matt XI, a compilation of the best cricketers ever to represent the name Matt. And to be fair,…
The Aussie needed every centimetre of his height and reach to reel that one in!
Royal Challengers Bengaluru needed 21 off the final over...but after three sixes, a caught and bowled and a run out, Mitchell Starc's Kolkata had…
