ICCCT2006: SCMODS' assesment of every teams chances

[Simbazz]

My two pence on this arguement is, that ok he is not intelligent but when it pulls off BOY does it pull off!

For most teams he would be a liabilty but i believe Pakistan need this kind of man in there middle order. England have KP and Flintoff, Australia have Andrew Symonds and Ricky Ponting who can hit out if needs be. Every team have a few, and Pakistan maybe need this kind of player to keep things exciting.

But as a bit of a slogger myself (Although i try to keep my swish buckling antics in a little box inside myself) i have to agree he gives his wicket away far to easy. Anything straight, im happy to block out, as unless you get a Mcgrath who can bowl at the death, every ball in the same place, usually a yorker, then somewere in an over you will get the wider one to attack. So why waste your wicket and go for a big one if its any remote chance of a LBW or bails flying off

 

[evertonfan]

The fact that Afridi is even being mention in the same breath as Ponting and Pietersen is laughable. Pakistan have enough excitement in Razzaq who can hit a ball as big as Afridi and but he also has a brain. Razzaq means a lot more to the Pakistan team than Afridi does and in my opinion, Afridi doesn't belong anywhere on the international scene.

 

[Simbazz]

Theres Sloggers, such as KP, and then there are Mindless sloggers as the man in question.

At times we all become mindless while at the crease, if its because of a nice bit of sledging or just because you arnt getting runs, but the better batsmen out there me will know that even if a ball you think can hit for six, its better to just push it away and wait for the ball which you know you can hit for 6.

Its not about his brain, its about his natural instincts....Some batsmen play with there heads, probably Trescothicks, while others play on reactions and play without thinking, Vaughan does this very well when he is on form.

Afridi neither thinks nor reacts in situations like before, he just goes out with one intention. To make sure the ball is hit out of India and into the nieghbouring country :

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Afridi doesn't have to think. It isn't in his nature, and now the team management feels its fine he doesn't have too. Becuase their top 5 on form can be as good as any other, although after this performance I am doubting that. Inzy, Younis, Yousuf are all amazing batsmen. Butt or Farhat are highly talented (Though Farhat seems to be more in the Afridi mode. He needs to think more, or one of these two will have to go, and Afridi has more talent and experience), Malik is a very good batsman too, and Akmal and Razzaq are always there to rescue them.
Now, that means that they have a spare spot in the lineup. Why not get in a man who is absolutely destructive on his day, who can rip up any attack in the world, who draws crowds and loads of support, who brings fear into the mind of any bowler? And his bowling and fielding is terrible either. That's why they have Afridi, and over his career, he has done his job.
I am dissapointed too with his performances, but it is a bad slump of form. You won't want to drop KP if he hits bad form and never want him to be selected again, now do you?
And dropping him won't make a difference. He treats county and international cricket the same. He'll have better bowling returns, yes, but his batting is likely to remain the same. He just needs to spend more time in the middle.

 

[Simbazz]

Zorax, you say he is in a bad slump of form...So for the last 5 years he has been in a slump then? He only fires 3 times out of 10!

Ive changed my tune a bit, earlier i was defending him, but if he is going out there to swing at everything, like Steve Harmison will when he comes out to bat, then why is he classed as a vital piece in the Pakistan lineup? He needs to make 13 runs into 50 on a game basis, every game, and he has that talant!

And when he has hit a quick 50 then he can convert it to the big 3 figures Pakistan need!

 

[evertonfan]

He just needs to spend more time in the middle.

And the best way to that is to not mindlessly slog from ball one. :

 

[sohum]

I think Afridi's position in the team isn't that well defined. He has probably batted in all positions from 1-9. I think the selectors are partly to blame for what has happened with his career--especially during the period when the selectors pretty much picked and dropped whoever they wanted on whim.

If they had been a little more judicious with him, he would have been a less confused cricketer and probably a more contributing member to the Pakistan unit.

 

[irottev]

Afridi makes it into the side as a handy bowler who can sometimes score some runs. I don't see why Pakistan should drop him so long as he bowls well.

 

[Karachi Xpress]

ok...If u make KP play at different positions in every match does anybody of u think he will perform good?? same with Ponting! He is never made to play in the same place every game! They keep changing his place every game!

 

[Sureshot]

KPs record at 3,4,5 is quite good, I don't know whether it makes much difference with Shahid as he knows he's there to raise the run rate/get off to flyer.

 

[Karachi Xpress]

wht abt the rest of the positions?? 1,2,6,7,8 and 9?

 

[MUFC1987]

A mindless slogger does not average high 30's with the bat in Test Cricket.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Yup, that seals the deal. What I've been trying to say. In ODIs, it's his job. He can play well if he wants, he justs doesn't want to most of the time and even if he does, it's his job to go down slogging.

 

[Bilal91]

yeah...i heard that inzi and woolmer have given him license to go out and slog...


forget it...i will just sit and see all you people fight...