Shahid Afridi: Pakistan Cricket's only superstar

There are certain names that fill stadiums, grab all the headlines and have fans and neutrals alike the world over, who stop what they’re doing and switch on their televisions. Those names belong to players, who have worked their way, to superstar status. In the past people would rush to catch a glimpse of Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Vivian Richards, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram, even if they were on the opposing team. Fans of the game remember them even to this very day. In the modern game there are plenty of superstars as well. The explosive rebel, Chris Gayle, the Australian pair of, Brett Lee, and, Shane Watson, Hashim Amla, and, Dale Steyn of South Africa, half the Indian team from Yuvraj Singh to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar to Virender Sehwag. Yet Pakistan, once renowned for having an abundance of superstars, seems to have fallen behind. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq – the list of past superstars goes on and on, but how many can one name in the present Pakistan squad? Would people go or even bother changing the channel to watch Mohammad Hafeez? Or maybe watch Asad Shafiq? Even the more well known names fail to raise excitement levels. Saeed Ajmal, who although is a consistent wicket taker, does not carry with him the flair and flamboyance that can pull the masses in, and one can only groan in agony anytime the painfully slow, Misbah-ul-Haq, makes his way to the crease. Yes, there is Pakistan’s wicket keeper, Kamran Akmal, though the player is famous for the wrong reasons. Dropped catches and missed chances do not bring the type of attention one wishes. Contrast that with West Indies batsman, Chris Gayle, and his recent demolition of opposition bowlers in the Indian Premier League. Whether one was a fan or not, the cricketing world would stop and proceed to watch the batsman. Why? Because he was exciting, because he was special and most importantly because he gave the fans what they wanted to see. Long gone are the days Shoaib Akhtar would storm in to bowl deliveries that flew at the batsmen at over 140 kilometres per hour, or when Wasim Akram would create unreal swing. The only name that still gets fans interested in Pakistan cricket is their talismanic One Day International captain, Shahid Khan Afridi. His exploits in the recently concluded ICC World Cup was the pinnacle in his, how to put this, exhilarating professional career. Scoring the fastest century in cricketing history on his debut, Afridi never compromised on his attacking batting, be it for better or for worse. It made him a household name not only in Pakistan but anywhere the game of cricket was played. Afridi’s aggression, ability to turn games on its head earlier with the bat and more recently with the ball, have not only propelled him to international stardom but also has fans pause just for a second to check if Afridi is on the crease or not. In Pakistan, when Afridi gets dismissed so does 25% of the crowd. It is not all doom and gloom though, as the Cornered Tigers are producing two more potential superstars, Wahab Riaz, and, Umar Akmal. Akmal unlike his brother is an exciting prospect, while the verdict on Wahab is still out after limited performances for the side. Yet if anyone was asked to make a fantasy team consisting of the best players in the world, one can safely say that Shahid Afridi would be the only Pakistan player on the roster and that is why he is Pakistan’s only superstar.

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Mahendra Singh Dhoni – A cricketer in the 2011 TIME 100 list

A person really needs to be something special, achieved something of real note, or, inspired an entire population, to be mentioned among Time Magazine’s Top 100 most influential people.

India’s World Cup winning captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has all of these traits, and then some.

Coming from a modest family, without little political affiliations that make the difference when it comes to being successful in the sub-continent, Dhoni defied the odds and made his way to the very pinnacle of international cricket.

Born on July 7, 1981 in Ranchi, not many could have known that Mahendra Singh Dhoni would one day go on to lead his nation to glory in the sport India follows religiously.

Making his debut against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2004 the wicket keeper batsman could not have had a worse debut. Run out on a duck, Dhoni left almost everyone, apart from those who knew his abilities, skeptical and critical of the batsman.

The player would go on to prove himself later on and become a stern fan favourite due to his unique, if somewhat flamboyant, choice of hairstyle and his superb displays with the bat. Dhoni became a regular for the side.

His personality and character seemed to impress, as Dhoni was appointed India’s One Day International (ODI) captain after Rahul Dravid resigned on September 8^th, 2007. It was the beginning of a new era for cricket in the nation as the side was slowly maturing into a major force on the world stage.

Dhoni proved his ability to adapt to changing situations in the blink of an eye and led India to the inaugural World T20 Championship in 2007 in South Africa. The dark horses of the tournament, few had given the transitional India side a chance, yet they went on to win the tournament beating bitter rivals Pakistan in the final.

The name Mahendra Singh Dhoni became an instant household name after that, as critics became admirers and his fan following multiplied.

There was more to follow in 2008 when he replaced the absent Anil Kumble, as India’s captain for the Test Series against South Africa. A year later and Dhoni had taken India to the number one ranking in Test matches for the first time in the nation’s history.

In the span of 5 years Dhoni had gone from being a nobody, with a questionable hair cut, to being the side’s ODI and Test captain leading them to a T20 World Cup trophy and the number one spot in Test rankings.

What was scary was that there was more to come from the inspirational leader. The inventor of the unorthodox ‘Helicopter shot’ would etch his name in history as the person, who won the World Cup for his nation after 28 years. Not only that, but Dhoni did so in front of his nation on home soil.

While his cricketing abilities are without a doubt among the best in the world, how often have you heard of a player winning the World Cup with a six, it was his personality and character that defined him.

Humble, modest, and, quick to give credit where credit is due, Mahendra Singh Dhoni the person, was just as popularly admired for who he was as much as how he played.

MS Dhoni gave his nation hope and made the dreams of its 1.21 billion people come true, and it is only fitting that TIME acknowledged the player for his contribution to the game and the world

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