Even three months ago, in the ODI series against South
Africa , the appearance of a casual Misbah-ul-Haq
irritated the Pakistan
cricket fan. His disappointed in the first two ODIs and was then dropped from
the team. But to his credit, he came back with a bang in the Test series
against South Africa
and carried his form in the Test series against the Kiwis and ended up winning
the series. He led by example.
Misbah’s surprising and fruitful rise had subjected the
impulsive Shahid Afridi under pressure as captain. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)
announced the 15-man World Cup squad without naming the captain.
The PCB was wrong – yet again. By not announcing the
captain, the PCB had pushed the team in a zone of uncertainty. In contrast,
teams around the world are warming under their captain and coach, ahead of the
biggest event in world cricket. Thrills and excitement are best scripted on the
cricket field. The PCB decision is counterproductive for the team and made Pakistan
cricket a laughing stock.
Afridi is an impulsive Yusuf Pathan. His cricket is quite
unconventional and it’s useless trying to teach such characters. His skills
have not been honed by traditional coaching but on the rugged mountains of Pakistan
where Pathans hunt like tigers. They are born to thrill and entertain.
I find it surprising when people blame Afridi for being
irresponsible. Such critics forget his ability to responsibly mould a bunch of
diverse characters though troubled waters on the tour of England
and in the home series against South Africa
in the ODIs.
He was in the centre of the infamous ball biting controversy
that tarnished Pakistan ’s
image, but since then Afridi has been visibly disciplined.
As a captain Afridi’s record is not great, but he has
brought togetherness in the team. Moreover, he is being tested as the ODI
captain for almost one year. Mind you, during his reign as the Pakistan ’s
ODI captain, the whole team was plagued with filthy controversies, but credit
to Afridi that he kept the team’s unity intact.
Even if it’s belated, the PCB has finally taken the right
decision by naming Afridi as captain for the World Cup.
The World Cup is multi-nation tournament and not a bilateral
one. This is not the stage for experimentation.
Misbah’s captaincy is good, but captaining World Cup is a
huge responsibility for him. At best, Misbah can be a very good advisor and an
anchor of Afridi on the field – similar to what Javed Miandad was for Imran
Khan in the 80’s. Naming Misbah as Afridi’s deputy is the correct decision.
Afridi has contributed in troubled times when he led in
incredibly difficult circumstances and without his best players. He has been
tested several times in challenging situations. In the ODI series against New
Zealand , Afridi has answered his critics
with astute captaincy and with blazing batting. He has led Pakistan
to a series victory amidst much criticism.
The captaincy for the World Cup is a just reward.
Note: This article has been published in Cricket Country on 5/02/2011 http://www.cricketcountry.com/articles/shahid-afridi-is-the-right-man-to-lead-pakistan-in-world-cup-273
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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