Shahid Afridi: treading the path of uncertainty

At 32, one would be inclined to say Afridi still has quite a few years by his side, more so because he has decided to concentrated solely on limited overs cricket. But his miserable form that had turned him into a liability in the Pakistan squad prior to last week’s gallantry administers just about adequate emphasis to deter judgment in his favour.

Also, his failure to impress in the next couple of matches tends to dispose off his 7 for 12 as merely another spurt of rare brilliance.

Shahid Afridi

Moreover, Afridi’s incomprehensible flexibility at making incredulously reckless career decisions means it is always futile to generalise his next step in life. Ironically enough, his cricketing form lies in perfect sync with his character, thus rendering even more ambiguity to his career.

A single performance has often been known to revive a cricketer’s career. Whether Afridi suffers similar fate is a million dollar question in itself. While Pakistan continues to reel under pressure from the non-cricketing sections of the society, cynicism and sarcasm about Pakistani cricket keeps on conquering newer heights every passing day.

The dearth of a competent all-rounder had persuaded the selectors to call for Afridi despite his forgettable performances last year. But with an infamous history of frittering away opportunities, one wonders whether Afridi will be able to sustain his place in the team. Whether he will even try to, is uncertain!

The clouds are surely back in the skies after a flash of silver in the last week. Going wicketless in matches is not at all going to assist Afridi the bowler cement a spot in the playing eleven if Afridi the batsman walks into the 22 yards with the ludicrous rationale of hitting every single delivery to the stands. He’ll be forgiven once, twice, but not always.

For a career that had always witnessed extrovert celebrations and entertaining condescension outshining cricketing logic, the conclusion had been scripted not long after its foundation. The sporadic surges of talent that Afridi obliges to showcase when he feels like are too few and far between. They may prolong his career, but are certainly incapable of reviving it.

His performance against the West Indies is sure to elevate expectations among followers regarding his involvement in the 2015 World Cup, but realists would rather prefer to play it down as just another glimpse of his gifted talent.

Then again, with Shahid Afridi on the bloc, one wouldn’t be insane enough to abandon chances of getting the probability theories miserably wrong.