Oct 16 2009
Shoaib the humble crusader???
It is not that he was a spoiled brat right from very beginning of his career. There are various factors which worked in converting this promising child of destiny into a shabby bundle of potential and performance. Of late in his career, Shoaib has become an integral part of every controversy that props up in the Pakistani cricket, whether that is indiscipline, drug abuse, factionalism, or even manhandling. And these situations have led to his expulsion from the team on more than one occasion. On various tours he has been ruled out of place in the squad only on disciplinary ground. Remember any tour and find out how many times Shoaib has come unscathed. The result would be zero. Will this fact give any cricketer an honor that he is out of team for a reason other than performance? If one analyzes the performance of the Pakistan cricket team with and without Shoaib you will find that his absence has hampered the overall performance of Pakistan in one-day and Test cricket as well.
After joining the game of cricket, his only aim was to hit the deck hardest, within flash of seconds. And he has been doing his job with aplomb every time he is in team. He has crossed the magic figure of 100 miles twice. And with his seer pace he has undone the best of the bests defenses in the cricketing world. One can never forget Pakistan’s tour to India in 1998-99, where in the second Test in Kolkata Shoaib proved to be a surprise for the entire world with his devastating pace and cricketing attitude. He was already on the path of being a new star on the cricketing horizon then. The dramatic spell in which in the space of two great balls, he turned the Test match on its head. He made Sachin Tendulkar and Dravid look like any ordinary batsman when he uprooted the stumps from right under their feet. He made the whole wide world look with their mouths left open gaping at the scorching pace he generated by his passionate exuberance. He went on to take eight wickets in that Test and finally Pakistan won it comprehensively. Later in a home series against New Zealand in 2002 what he did was the “ultimate bowling spell” of his cricket career. His bowling figure read 8.2– 4–11–6, and five out of the six wickets had the stumps disturbed. This performance established his stature of a match-winner as well as of a horse of long race. Shattering and Knocking over the Stumps is the pleasant sight for any fast bowler. And Shoaib has repeated this feat, every time he has taken the field whether that was in 2002-03 series against South Africa and New Zealand in home and away series or in 2004 series against New Zealand or in 2005 series against Australia or in 2005 in a three-Test home series against England. And this remarks is very often repeated that “Shoaib was a big difference between the two teams.”
But all this accolades and remarks have done no good to the team Pakistan or cricket in Pakistan. Success and glamour of the game has galloped Shoaib so much so that barely in the halfway of his career he has started considering himself equal in stature to that of the Imran Khan. The most recent controversy involving Shoaib was the one where he hit his opening bowl partner Mohammad Asif. What the inside sources say is that the brawl between the two started after Asif and Shahid Afridi disagreed with Shoaib that he shared the same stature as Imran Khan in Pakistan cricket and even ridiculed him for making such a comparison. Apart from this he has started feeling himself free from all rules and laws and above any authority. Late night clubbing on the tours and during match days, bad team spirit, poor discipline, drug abuses have become his common behaviour. And above all he tries to go scotfree every time.
The same aggression which is good on the field while playing turns out to be quite unhealthy when carried forward to dressing room and off the field. His career started on a promising note as the world’s fastest bowler and his devastating spells with which he wrecked havoc in almost every middle-order left such a lasting impact on the opposition that even after numerous attempts Pakistan cricket can’t afford to lose–Shoaib - the bowler. But how long, was the question??
The recent tour of the Pakistani team to India seems to have brought certain changes. Shoaib has mellowed down, not only in his behavoiur but in his performance too. He was bowling with shorter run-up, yet he was effective; he was jelling well with his team members as well as Indian players, yet he was hot. No surprise this was the biggest ear-to-ear question during the just concluded Indo-Pak cricket series.
Has the Bad Boy of cricket turned into a Goodman?
Has he improved his behavior or is it the ultimatum by PCB which is playing on the mind of the world’s most furious bowler?
During this series between these two arch-rivals not even a single instance of outrage or outcry was noticed on or off the field. The behavior of Shoaib Akhtar and the team was very healthy and friendly one. And the most responsible factor was Shoaib Akhtar. It is noteworthy that he was coming to Indian tour after serving a ban for misconduct. Seems, of late, he has learnt few lessons of gentlemen’s game. At first, before embarking on this tour, he vowed to make the upcoming tour of India a memorable one. He said in an interview “This may be my last tour so I must do something special for the fans in India so that they remember me in a good way,” And then when he reached India, this enigmatic speedster’s impeccable behaviour earned him a pat from Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Nasim Akhtar. He said “Shoaib is an asset for the team and he has been behaving well. We have no concern about his behaviour,” he further added that the pacer was an “asset” to the team. Moreover he played down reports about Shoaib’s nightlife in India and said that the pacer had not done anything wrong since his arrival to the country for the cricket series.
Shoaib Akhtar’s ruthless performance on the field mixed up his aggression compel us to believe that he has no emotions at all but current tour of India has been a revelation for all. He proved everybody wrong by showing his generous side, which appears an image makeover of Pakistan cricket’s bad boy. There are claims that Shoaib was doing charity works in India just to hog media attention. But the PCB chairman had different views - “It’s wrong to say that he is publicity-hungry. He has genuine concerns about certain issues and in Pakistan also, he engages himself to such causes. Cricketers are the ambassadors of the country and whenever they go on tour, we leave instructions with them to get involved in such activities. It also improves country’s image.”
During the series Shoaib visited a government orphanage in Lucknow and a children’s home in Chandigarh also. He played tennis ball cricket with kids there. Later he told media “It’s my social and moral duty and I always try to involve other work in such work along with me,” further he insisted that visits such as this one aren’t juts an attempt on his part to boost his image and profile but something he’s always wanted to do as part of giving back to society and that he wants to adopt a child. This may be Shoaib Akhtar’s first charity visit in India but this is nothing new for the bowler, as he has already done a lot for kids in Pakistan and Australia.
He was also seen in the friendly company of Indian players. He was mingling well and was very much receptive to all humors cracked at him. Even he hosted one show on a TV channel with Indian speedster Irfan Pathan. He danced and enjoyed with other Indian cricketers and Indian superstar Shahrukh Khan at a do in Lucknow. Moreover he was special guest in a reality show where he sang along with the contestants of the show.
His good behaviour and soft nature on this tour has proved to be beneficial for him. He was almost successful in his official task of bowling by bagging 9 wickets in 3 tests and 11 wickets in 5 ODIs. And going away from cricketing world he was approached with Bollywood offers by some directors also. If rumours are to be believed then he is to act in a movie opposite actress Hansika Motwani. But the confirmation from this lead actor of many dramas is yet to come.
Whatever may be the reason but after all it is good to see the talent and energy go in the right direction. Perhaps he might be trying to prove the statement made by PCB chairman right that “I’m sure Shoaib and all the other experienced boys will fulfill their responsibility as senior players and act as a positive force to lift the morale of the national team,” But never be deceived by any small act, one will have to follow him for long before making any final view about Shoaib’s behaviour. Interestingly apart from a fine of 3.4 million rupees Shoaib was put on probation for two years also, after he struck fellow fast bowler Md. Asif on the thigh at the team practice in Johannesburg ahead of the inaugural World Twenty20 championship, which means he could be banned for life if he again breaches the players’ code of conduct. Though he says - his career was back on track after the mistake which he described as something he would rather forget, and commits - “I have missed a lot of cricket due to injuries and other reasons, but now I want to focus on my game and do my best for the country,” it is yet to be seen how much he abides by his words.
