Sharjah: From Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a venue where fans used to throng to watch him during his glorious days, Shahid Afridi announced that his international cricket career is over.
After enthralling the fans who cheered for him, screaming his nickname ‘Boom Boom’, cracking a 54 off just 28 balls with five sixes and three boundaries for Peshawar Zalmi, he said: “Whatever international cricket I had to play I have played. It’s goodbye. It’s a goodbye for me to international cricket. I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it's goodbye from international cricket.”
Afridi, who has played many glorious knocks in Sharjah during the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series used to bring this city to a halt with taxi drivers from the Pathan tribe, to which Afridi belonged, turning up only to watch his innings.
“I am playing for my fans,” he said after this fighting knock that went in vain as Peshawar fell short of Karachi’s target by nine runs. Each of his five sixes received a standing ovation as his fans always demanded sixes from him the moment he reached the crease. His first six of the innings off Mohammad Sami was hit with brute power which fans proudly remark as sheer ‘Pathan power’.
He also hit Sami over long off with absolute ease. His third six off Sohail Khan was hit so high it almost disappeared into the night sky and fell beyond deep mid-wicket area. In the 18th over, Afridi again hit Sohail for a six square of the wickets and his fifth six was hit into the crowd as if a thank you for the cheers from his fans.
Afridi was expected to retire from international cricket after a farewell Twenty20 match but was upset that the Pakistan cricket authorities never organisedone for him. Afridi had announced he would retire after the ICC World Twenty20 in India in March-April 2016. He changed his mind after Pakistan’s first-round exit but stepped down as captain wanting to play only a farewell match.
Afridi had retired from Test cricket in 2010 and from one-dayers in 2015.
“I have always played cricket with seriousness, honesty and professionalism and I now realise that it is time to move on. I am finished with my international cricket and I thank everyone for the support and love and it was a worthwhile journey.”
Afridi’s last innings for Pakistan was on March 25, 2016 against Australia in Mohali, when Pakistan crashed out of the ICC World T20 2016 in the group stage. After his debut in 1996, Afridi has piled up 10,645 runs and picked up 540 wickets in 523 international matches. Jacques Kallis and Afridi are the only all-rounders to have a double of 10000 runs and 500 wickets.
Entering the international cricket arena as a leg spinner, he won the hearts of his fans through his aggressive batting. His world record record breaking 37-ball ODI hundred against Sri Lanka in a tri-series in Nairobi in 1996 stood till 2014 it was erased by New Zealand’s Corey Anderson who reached his century in 36 balls before South Africa’s AB de Villiers reached his century in 31 balls in 2015.
Afridi’s willingness to entertain the fans has often resulted in him getting out quickly. Though he was critcised for throwing away his wicket, he refused to change his style. On Sunday night at Sharjah, he once again showed that playing for the fans and entertaining them is paramount for him.
