I turned 19 on Saturday, the 29th of January ,2011 but that was the last thing on my mind when I woke up at 6:00 AM to watch Pakistan lock horns with New Zealand at Christchurch. I was fixated on the thoughts of who would lead our World Cup that was announced on 19th January. To put it frankly ,I was perturbed by the news that one steering the ship may not even make it to playing XI let alone leading the side. But as the saying goes, cometh the hour, cometh the man, the beleaguered skipper , smacked a 25-ball 65 ,helping Pakistan pull off a win. Him clearing the fence times , was just what the doctor ordered for him and for me , and after he led his side to a series win in New Zealand, the first for Pakistan since 1994 in that country, he was named as the man in charge of our World Cup squad. The man in question in none other than the mercurial Pathan from the Tirah Valley of the Khyber Agency, Shahid Khan Afridi.
For this maverick and enigmatic Pashtun, clearing the fence was both, a bane and a boon. Afridi himself put it aptly on the 18th of May ,2007 after pummelling Srilankan with an innings of 73 off 34 balls, that he is “Darray ki Rifle “, a reference to the guns produced by his fellow Afridis in Darra Adamkhel. Thus, his story could only be put in words by someone who understands the vagaries in the battlefield; Afridi found an ace war correspondent, a man who knows what combat and combatants are , Wajahat S.Khan .Together they came out with the “Game Changer “, and shattered my dream of writing a book on someone who has inspired me since 1996.
If you are looking to relive Afridi’s memorable and glorious moments, then this is not the book that you should read. If you are looking to eke out a newsy and scandalous item on his life, then this 219-page long book is a waste of money. But if you want understand an infantryman who commanded an Artillery Regiment, this is the book to read.
Perhaps, the carnage in Nairobi that exhibited Afridi’s innate and God-gifted talent, was the start of the ordeal for him . A skill that got him the coveted green cap went for a six as those 11 sixes that broke screens and landed way outside the stadium, changed everything for him. He was expected to emulate the heroics everytime he went out to bat. Six and Afridi became analogous; the desire to see him tonk it big started from 4th October, 1996 and remained a constant till 25th March ,2016. As a soldier, Afridi was sent in unfamiliar terrain sans his Basic Training (BT). Those who were responsible for managing him told him to use the means of 1st Generation warfare to fight the 4th. Afridi, however, was already in the 5th one.
Imagine this: A Commanding Officer minutes before a battle berates his subaltern who is to lead a platoon earmarked for the initial attack on the enemy. This is exactly what happened with Afridi just before he scored one of the best test tons on Indian soil. Not only did he intruded the fence thrice during his 141 but he also had to cross one more hurdle: Javed Miandad. When the Khyber Rifle was despatching the Prince of Kolkata out of the park in Toronto, his opening partner who was more famous for his sharp tongue than his square drives, accused him of match-fixing during the innings. The book recounts these two and many such events where he bounced back and hunted the fence with the ferocity of a tribesman. While his commanders told him to hold territory, he was equipped only to decimate the defenses and capture the fort; he tried the latter with aplomb and panache.
Wajahat has been stupendous in ticking all the right boxes in Afridi’s journey. Leaving the details of the known events out, the veteran journalist focuses on the man himself. The book touches upon all the controversies surrounding Afridi , giving him a chance to set the record straight
His fence-hunting cost him the consistency tag but that was the thing that compelled Shashtri to dub him “Boom Boom ” on 15th April 2005. For most of us, his reckless strokes were utterly frustrating but for him they were the tools available for him to succeed. Just for a second, imagine the vitriol that would have come his way had Ashwin been a tad luckier on the 2nd of March ,2014. Had it not been for his sheer madness, the title of the book would have been different.
One theme the book alludes to but does not mention explicitly is that clearing the fence at the risk of his career showed his honesty and truthfulness. Instead of feigning and fooling around, Afridi did what he knew best. This trait is vindicated by his views on politics, leadership, feminism and the military. This project of the two Khans delves into how Afridi saw and approached the world. He is willing to support any political force that helps Pakistan cross the line. Contrary to popular belief, the books throw light on an Afridi who thinks. He sets aside his love for Imran Khan, the cricketer, and critically looks at him and his prospects, liking him because of his intent and roadmap for Pakistan.
Wajahat has been stupendous in ticking all the right boxes in Afridi’s journey. Leaving the details of the known events out, the veteran journalist focuses on the man himself. The book touches upon all the controversies surrounding Afridi , giving him a chance to set the record straight.
As an Afridi freak, I ideally wanted him to discuss some of his greatest moments but then the book was more about him than his achievements. For me Afridi, with a six to ball ratio 20 balls less than that of Chris Gayle, is the ultimate fence-breacher. This book just testifies that, much to my delight. However, it does so by hardly mentioning the 476 occasions where he did so but by tracing his excursion where he grappled with the system, politics, and the pitfalls of stardom. Unfazed, he braved them all and gave credence to Wasim Akram’s refrain that Afridi played in a wrong era and was just given the advice he least needed. Afridi ends on a poignant note: the marching orders were out when his record was broken by Corey Anderson on the 1st of January, 2014.
Wajahat’s expectional use of the English language, lays bare the makers and breakers of Afridi. This is a good enough reason to spend some bucks on this book! Lo and behold, Lala is clearing many a fence in his second innings where he hits the bad length deliveries of illiteracy, poverty and malnutrition without being caught on the fence.
The writer is a Research Associate at the Centre for Security, Strategy and Policy Research (CSSPR), University of Lahore