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Australia captain Michael Clarke paid rich tributes to Pakistan's veterans, captain Misbah-ul Haq and all-rounder Shahid Afridi, whose one-day careers ended after their six-wicket defeat to the World Cup hosts.
Both Misbah and Afridi had announced they would retire from one-day cricket after the World Cup with skipper Misbah continuing to play Tests while Afridi will feature in Twenty20 cricket.
“They have been fantastic, experienced players,” Clarke said.
“Misbah is a good leader and Boom Boom Afridi is a one of a kind, a real entertainer.
“We have had some tough challenges in the past. I wish them both well in future.”
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Misbah, 40, failed to get a one-day hundred in his entire career of 162 one-day internationals. His final run tally was 5,122 runs -- the most runs by any player in one-dayers without a hundred.
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The captain managed 34 in Pakistan's sub-par total of 213 all out against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.
“It was my wish (to score a one-day hundred) but it didn't come about,” said Misbah, who has the most runs in all one-day cricket -- 5,122 in 162 matches -- without scoring a hundred.
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“I put my whole effort into it but that didn't come and it will be a disappointment but I enjoyed my career and I am satisfied.”
Misbah's highest one-day score was 96 came against the West Indies at The Oval in the 2013 Champions Trophy.
“It was really an honour to represent my country,” said Misbah, who will continue to play Test cricket.
“I enjoyed my cricket and gave everything to my country.”
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Afridi, famous for his 37-ball hundred in only his second one-day international made against Sri Lanka in Nairobi in 1996, fell five wickets short of the 400-mark.
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Afridi, 35, who scored 8,064 runs in his 398 one-day internationals, could have been the only all-rounder with over 8,000 one-day runs and 400 wickets.
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"Shahid Afridi the ODI cricketer has quit the stage. The glorious, frustrating, charismatic, powerful, vulnerable, record-breaker, underachiever, champion and serial failer passed into 50-over history with an innings that summarised his batting career with an almost eerie perfection," Andy Zaltzman wrote in Cricinfo of the end of 'Afridism'.
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Comments (71) Closed
Mar 21, 2015 04:13pm
Afridi gone,now bring back IMRAN NAZIR and lets have entertainment again. I mean Pakistan still has potential of aggressive batting to cope up with their technique issues... There should be aggression of Afridi somewhere in someone from Pakistan batting...
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Mar 21, 2015 04:30pm
We will miss you both. Thanx for your services and contributions for Pakistan. Wish you a good luck for next of your life.
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Mar 21, 2015 04:33pm
@Faizan Muhammad please no! I have been seeing imran nazir since I was a kid. Let's bring some young kid who can provide entertainment. Lala himself came when he was 16
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Mar 21, 2015 04:36pm
Now with Misbah gone, let's make Wahab captain. We reached world cup finals twice and both times under a bowling alrounder. I say give Wahab a chance and I'm sure he won't disappoint. Moreover he is an aggressive as well as humble and we need such a character to lead like IK.
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Mar 21, 2015 04:36pm
Afridi, you will be remembered for long time in the cricketing world by friends and adversaries. Now enjoy the good life with your family.
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Mar 21, 2015 04:37pm
Realy a sad moment for me as well as for all LALA's lovers. He start hitting when 200 was a big score. Surely he is the pioneer of hard hitting and father of all modren day hard hitters of cricket. Spirit of Afridi will remain in Pakistan cricket and cricketing world. Wish you best of luck LALA.
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Mar 21, 2015 04:39pm
To Lala,
I will miss you so much.
Every time you walked out to bat I dropped everything I was doing & sat up to watch you.
I loved you & hated you, usually in the same game.
I cheered for you & jeered you, usually in the same game.
I laughed and cried because of you, usually in the same game.
I always felt 'as long as Lala is still there, we still have hope'
I believed in you, I argued with everyone, 'no, this time Lala will do it for us', 80% of the time I was wrong, but I watched every game so that I didnt miss the 10% of the time that you slayed all before you.
The team sheet will look incomplete without S. Afridi in it.
It is the right time for you to go.
Thank you for everything, all 395 wickets and 8000 runs.
Thanks Lala
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Mar 21, 2015 04:52pm
@Faizan Muhammad why bring tried and tested failed cricketers again , there are hundreds of players waiting to be given chance .
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Mar 21, 2015 04:56pm
For 19 years, no one was able to explain to Afridi that more runs can be scored by staying longer on the crease. he played for the gallery, hit more sixes than fours, had highest strike rate and so on. But was also responsible for most upsets by getting to cheaply till he was demoted from opener to # 7. His "Logic" saw the better of him till his last one day when he failed to realize the number of overs and power play left and he played the predictable shot pulling on the on side. Through out his career all bowlers needed were midwicket, square log and a sweeper on the onside and there goes Afiridi caught in the deep. So predictable. Ad people called him champion. He was one of kind (not a good one) boom boom (just entertainer) not a true cricketer. Most unfortunately, like long list fan followers he has many youngsters who want to be like him. What an awful mess the game would turn into if they made it. There were many indiscriminate sloggers and good hitters in the game, some are still playing. Yet they all use brain and not just brawn.
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Mar 21, 2015 04:59pm
I always stopped by to watch shahid afridi bat...I even had his post in my room. I am going to miss..Boom Boom.
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Mar 21, 2015 05:03pm
all players above 25 may be relieved and a new team be built
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Mar 21, 2015 05:22pm
Misbah was a true leader and a great cricketer in all forms of the game. He was a model of consistency whilst Afridi was the opposite. Afridi's final innings was like the rest of his career: rash, short lived and failing expectations.
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Mar 21, 2015 05:28pm
Shahid Sir, You are one of a kind. Never in your life did you change your play of style for records or personal purpose. You've always given your 100%, whenever you played. You have achieved the place in the rare league of ODI all-rounders like Kapil, Imran, Klusener, Hadlee & Yuvraj Singh. You'll be always in our hearts...Thanks for giving us so much entertainment over all these years. You'll be surely indicted into the ICC Hall of Fame, one day.
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Mar 21, 2015 05:30pm
an average overrated player.
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Mar 21, 2015 05:38pm
We need 'Cricketer', not 'Entertainer'. Thank you, Afridi, for 'entertaining' us for nearly 400 ODIs.
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Mar 21, 2015 05:39pm
Afridi will be remembered as an entertaining cricketer. In the hindsight, that inning of 100 off 37, so early in his career, was probably a curse. Having done it once, he tried to replicate it many a time afterwards which stopped him attaining his full potential. 8000 runs at an average of 25 or so is only average although he did compensate the lack of runs with wickets he took. As for Misbah, he was arguably the best captain after Imran Khan that Pakistan had and it'd not be easy for anyone to step into his shoes.
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Mar 21, 2015 06:19pm
Will miss you both.Afridi,you are one of a kind.wish you both peace in your lives.thnx for every thing.
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Mar 21, 2015 06:50pm
Misbah, this is coming from an Indian citizen.
I have been very impressed by your quiet strength in face of vitriolic attacks from your own citizens.
You have remained composed, kept performing at difficult times and always kept your country first.
There is a lot one can learn about life and how to go about performing ones duties in face of adversity by just watching how you carried yourself.
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Mar 21, 2015 07:08pm
we are too emotional and we all have very short memory.
I thanked God, finally I will not see or hear this name ( Shahdi Afridi ) anymore in Pakistan batting cards. at least one lobbyist is down and out. lets see when Akmal will bow out for once and all.
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Mar 21, 2015 07:11pm
Yes, one of its kind, a 2 ball player who never realised his full potential even after playing cricket for 20 years. So much so that the WC came to an end for us and he didn't even get started.
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Mar 21, 2015 07:14pm
Sometimes I wonder whom did he play for, for himself or for the country? It certainly wasn't for the country.
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Mar 21, 2015 07:19pm
Here is the ODI batting averages according to Espn.
Highest from the top
Fawad Alam = 41.14
Azher Ali = 41.90
Umer Akmal= 34.67
Ahmed Shezad = 34.56
Sohaib Maqsood= 32.95
Harris Sohail= 32.40
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Mar 21, 2015 07:28pm
Surprised and disappointed that Shahid Afridi is being posed as a hero of sorts. One cannot ever forget the national and international shame he brought to himself, his team and his country by openly cheating on the pitch - by trying to damage the pitch with his boots and getting caught.
Is this cheat your children's role model? He explained his behavior as 'he wanted to somehow win a match'! Isn't that excuse every cheat makes?
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Mar 21, 2015 07:49pm
Bye bye guys now we want all aggressive players , aggression the way it was shown by Wahhabi Ritz...we need to charge and take control of each game...I am sure there is plenty of talent in Pakistan
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Mar 21, 2015 08:02pm
Wahab is an inspiration for the entire cricket players. The way he gave his best in the WC quarter final is really awesome. We salute your fighting spirit,dedication and sincearity,Wahab. Congratulations and best wishes from an Indian.....
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Mar 21, 2015 08:23pm
Misbah is the real star. Being an Indian - I can never forget the T20 final against India. He was outstanding and since then he has been the sole backbone of Pak batting. Pity you had a poor team plagued with all sorts of problems.
Difficult to replace him. Well done Misbah.
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Mar 21, 2015 08:24pm
Boom Boom Afridi has been integral for Pakistan since his early days as a cricketer. He has played not only for Pakistan, Boom Boom was recruited heavily by top English cricket teams where he showed outstanding results for the UK Hampshire Cricket Club with many award winning, record-breaking performances.
We need to most of all admire Shahid Afridi for his clean unblemished reputation with strong moral convictions both on and off the field. He's admired by millions today, including countless children from around the world.
As Pakistanis we take our exceptional players for granted and unfairly judge Afridi and Misbah on the basis of a single match rather then view their record with a wider lens. We need to give them our full support when it's needed the most which is now. They never involved themselves in cardinal sins such as betting, gambling, drugs, etc. The grass is always greener on the other side for some who harshly judge our cricketers which is so wrong.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1s45fw_tribute-to-shahid-afridi-boom-boom_sport
We wish Shahid and Misbah many future successes, Inshallah! We love and admire you for all you did for our nation. Please help guide the next gen of young cricketers to victory for future international matches so we can take back our legendary "claim to fame." : )) on the cricket arena!
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Mar 21, 2015 08:31pm
@Proust I believe Afridi played more for personal glory than for the nation. His contribution to pakistan cricket was very immature and selfish.
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Mar 21, 2015 08:41pm
Afridi was really one of a kind - a man whose immense talent competed with his own stupidity - eventually this internal fight stopped him from being a true professional and let the team down.
He did produce good results which does not at all reflect what he could have achieved if he was a bit ahead in the queue when Allah was distributing commonsense.
Hats off to you Afridi! you will be missed in the ground. Hope you can support others.
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Mar 21, 2015 09:01pm
Afridi!!!!!
A great era comes to end. Definitely world cricket has lost a great entertainer of the game. You were the most respectable figure in Pakistani camp.
Wish you all luck in upcoming life and hope to see you in pakistans cricket in some other capacity.
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Mar 21, 2015 09:18pm
Good, now lets have some team players and players who can provide stability and play as a team.
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Mar 21, 2015 09:47pm
@Aysha by your numbers 41.90 is more than 41.14 so azhar ali should be number 1 :)
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Mar 21, 2015 09:52pm
@GREEN JAGUAR
Clean moral hahahaha did you know he bit the ball ? tried scratching the pitch thinking no one noticed and rightly reprimanded by Kevin Peterson as he noticed him doing so . What a career ? average of 25 with bat ? he has as many matches as many matches he played. below avg. player. only a team like Pakistan can retain hem for ages, lucky guy
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Mar 21, 2015 09:57pm
Afridi was one of a kind. I am hoping to not see his kind. 18 years in cricket and thoroughly incapable/unable to learn from his own mistakes. Rather than having played 395 ODIs, he played his first ODI 395 times.
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Mar 21, 2015 10:41pm
Wahab is a fantastic competitor, he should be made Captain.
I am an Indian but looking at his performance i cannot stop myself from admiring his skills and attitude. He is good and he displayed that in 2011 world cup also.
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Mar 21, 2015 10:48pm
Good bye Afridi, I won't miss you because I want somebody to stay on the pitch and SCORE runs for Pakistan.
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Mar 21, 2015 11:05pm
@TaDaa I agree with you for making Wahab as captain. First a player should consolidate his position in the team and then should be considered for captaincy. I don't want to see Ahmed Shehzad or any other who are not performing but wants to be a captain.
Well done Misbah, the most under admired player in Pakistan's history.
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Mar 21, 2015 11:08pm
Misbah bhai one of the most under rated captains who stood at every occasion when the team needed.... take my bow champ
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Mar 21, 2015 11:11pm
Shahid bhai love from neighbors.... we also love you
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Mar 22, 2015 12:04am
He was a bowling all rounder wrongfully cast as a batting allrounder or maybe just not enough knocks up the order. Would have loved to see atleast one knock at opener or number 3 in the World Cup. Maybe in the T20s coming up. Win the T20 WorldCup, start building now.
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Mar 22, 2015 12:15am
Including first 2 matches of World cup Pakistan lost 10 out of 12 matches ... This is the reality of the captaincy... Why should we feel proud????
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Mar 22, 2015 12:18am
Thank you for leaving and not soon enough!
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Mar 22, 2015 12:19am
Don't worry,we will be seeing the AKMALS for a long,long time,even their children!
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Mar 22, 2015 12:22am
Misbah was 70% of Pakistan's batting lineup. Afridi on the other hand has never managed to learn to swing a straight bat. Neither are match-winners.
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Mar 22, 2015 12:33am
India Favourites Against Australia in World Cup Semis for Misbah-ul-Haq ...
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Mar 22, 2015 12:33am
In the mean time ... Angry Pakistan cricket fans smashed TVs and staged a mock funeral for the team Friday after poor batting and sloppy catching saw them dumped out of the World Cup.
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Mar 22, 2015 12:37am
Afridi was an excellent ODI payer in the initial and middle stages but highly over rated during the final stage of his career. Lately, he would score well in one match and then fail miserably in the next nine games. He was not consistently scoring high and not the type of batsman who could be relied upon to rescue his team in difficult situations. His bowling was much better, though.
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Mar 22, 2015 01:03am
@Sandeep Vadera very well stated. That guy is a nice person...
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Mar 22, 2015 01:08am
@anon It was a typo. Azher Ali's average is 41.09 (not 41.90). And Fawad Alam's average is 41.14. So Fawad Alam has the highest average.
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Mar 22, 2015 02:31am
Thanks Shahid Bhai,
You will be always be remembered in cricket history. Though you were unique in your style and played with a passion.
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Mar 22, 2015 03:04am
There are sportsmen who take it for the team...then there are entertainers who want to put up a show for themselves only...Afridi was just that. No more than an entertainer who rarely proved any good for the team.
I am sure he is probably the biggest earner in the team with all of the commercial endorsements, but then again...just for himself...no benefit for the team...I feel like his only purpose had been putting up a fake show and earn a large fan base.
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Mar 22, 2015 04:02am
Afridi will take back his retirement again, like he always does. All these good people giving farewell messages to Afridi will have to choke it up and do it again.
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Mar 22, 2015 06:00am
Wish them good luck.
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Mar 22, 2015 07:42am
Thank you very much for your services Misbah and Afridi. You guys truly have been great servants of Pakistan cricket and both of you will be sorely missed.
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Mar 22, 2015 07:45am
You will be sorely missed Afridi and Misbah. I have some wonderful memories of AFridi with his exhillerating innings and bowling from time to time. One of the best entertainers and strongman in the world of cricket.
Misbah's absence will be felt very soon once Pakistan are again 2-3 wickets down for a low score. Mark my words. He was a pillar that was holding our batting together.
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Mar 22, 2015 07:52am
Afridi was always a treat to watch! Everyone used to wait till Afridi's came to bat. His fame was because of the hard hitting, that is what exactly he did every time. Respect for the Legend. Will surely miss You. And for Misbha, he was the dependable, his absence will hurt Pak cricket for sure. No one like him. Respect
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Mar 22, 2015 08:20am
Now we need another Afridi but with brain so that he could hit and hit long with game awareness and sensibility
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Mar 22, 2015 09:08am
Do we need an 'entertainer' in cricket ? Better get some good players and win consistently
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Mar 22, 2015 10:18am
@Proust Well said. How True!
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Mar 22, 2015 10:21am
@Sri I second that. He had is faults, but he was a Rock for Pakistan team in every situation of crisis.
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Mar 22, 2015 10:39am
I m sure that hearts of both friends and foes are broken over the retirement of legend and charismatic boom boom afridi. Despite his roller coaster performances he was really an entertainer; dynamic and energetic. We will really miss him in years to come. Afridi I m sure ur legacy will last forever.
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Mar 22, 2015 11:10am
now afridi's political career will commence .
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Mar 22, 2015 11:28am
To Mr Afridi, yes you have served Pak cricket but you could have done much much better if you have opted some sensible decisions. But it is very good for Pak cricket that you are no more in the team.
To Mr Misbah, a true legend but if you have played one down in ODI & conveyed a real fighting spirit in to the team then results would have been different.
But anyways thanks for your services. Thanks
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Mar 22, 2015 12:09pm
I wish he should have born in India. What a great player he is.
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Mar 22, 2015 06:46pm
God bless you, Lala. We loved you even when you were hitting our bowlers out of the park. You were my favourite Pakistani player.
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Mar 22, 2015 07:42pm
Sorry guys to need entertainers in films not in sports , he was representing your country and a country with cricket legacy , unfortunately he is the role model for your country which is the real reason for the batting failures.
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Mar 23, 2015 02:45am
If boomboom playe sensibily than therewas no boom boom just tuk tuk and out.
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Mar 23, 2015 08:40am
Misbah you are the pride of Pakistan. I thank you vefry much and wish you all the best in future, Insha Allah.
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Mar 23, 2015 03:24pm
For a long time Afridi was the leading wicket-taker in T20 internationals; currently he is at third spot behind two of his countrymen – Saeed Ajmal and Umar Gul. Afridi is the only cricketer in the world with over 8,000 runs and 350+ wickets in ODIs.His critics say that he is the slowest to 8,000 runs in ODIs. In terms of average, he surely is far slower than the rest. But it shouldn’t be forgotten that he is also the fastest to 8,000 runs in terms of strike-rate, by a mile.
Afridi is at the end of the road of his international career. He gave up Test cricket in 2010, and after 19 years, he has left the ODI game as well. He will continue to play T20 cricket for Pakistan till the World Cup T20 in 2016, and we will still be treated to some more of Afridi for another year. And then he will be gone forever.
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Mar 23, 2015 06:13pm
Misbah, gem of a person and a great cricketer. Goodluck guys. Thanks a bunch!
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Mar 27, 2015 01:06pm
@Jit In that case one should also be surprised and disappointed that Tendulkar is presented
as a hero since he was punished for cheating as he was caught ball tampering in one of the matches!
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