“Don’t worry, Misbah is still about to play
” “Oh man! The strike rate is so low! We are definitely losing this
” “I am counting on Afridi
He can save the game
” These are some of the many conversations that take place between Pakistani cricket fans during any important match
But sadly, it will not happen anymore
Misbahul Haq and Shahid Afridi will no longer accompany our heated discussions
They will no longer dominate our debates
And I wonder if there will ever be another duo about whom we would be as passionate as we are for these two
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="575"] Shahid Afridi and Misbahul Haq, during a match against Sri Lanka
Photo: AFP[/caption] Will there be a new Tuk Tuk and a new Boom Boom? Not in the distant future
Who will perform in spite of being hated by many? Who will hit the shots and aim for the boundaries during pressure? Their absence will be sorely felt
And those who hated Misbah or thought Afridi was irrelevant, will now know how an ODI team looks like without these two powerhouses
Pakistan played its last match of the World Cup against Australia yesterday and said goodbye to the trophy for another four years
While the tournament had some great individual performances, we had our lows
Our dismal start made things a lot harder for us
And that is something that the existing players should understand
But for now, that doesn’t matter
We can review our mistakes and hope to make things better later on
But it doesn’t matter right now
What matters is highlighting the two players who have always tried to help the team and bring it to victory
What matters is Afridi’s sixes and Misbah’s consistency
What matters is the tribute that these two legendary players most definitely deserve
Shahid Afridi We cannot ignore the outstanding and unpredictable innings of the man who made the fastest century for Pakistan, who served us for 19 years, who took some amazing wickets and caught some incredible catches
The man who made us exhilarate with joy by bringing home the T20 World Cup trophy
He gave our nation many reasons to laugh
I am sure no one can ever replicate the pressure and fear he exerted on other players
I know that he failed in achieving his happy ending but we still have tonnes of happy moments to appreciate and respect him for
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Afridi
Photo: Reuters[/caption] Misbahul Haq Many have misunderstood his patience, his intelligent cricket, his strength and his ability to give confidence to other players in the team
People have cussed him, abused him, have mercilessly criticised him and even questioned his role in the team
Yet, he has remained nothing but loyal to the game and steadfast to his vision
He stood by his team in the toughest of times
He scored when the team needed him to
He never scored a century but made sure he was the leading run-scorer from our nation whenever it was required
He was the second Pakistani batsman to score 3,000 plus runs in ODI as a captain
Furthermore, he captained this bunch of amateurs to so many victories, saved the team from so many embarrassing totals and, shamefully, he is still the most criticised player in the history of Pakistan
While it is thoroughly disheartening to see such a quality player retire, it is even more painful to know that many are happy to see him go
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Misbahul Haq
Photo: AFP[/caption] They will be missed These players gave us moments that nobody ever could
We owe them a lot of gratitude and we need to keep them in high esteem
It is their right to be respected
These are our real heroes and if we really appreciate their services to this country, then we need to give them a loving farewell to express our gratitude, like other nations do
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Shahid Afridi (R) and Misbahul Haq during New Zealand vs Pakistan 2015
Photo: AFP[/caption] Here are some of the tweets that paid tribute to these two players and their efforts for our team
https://twitter
com/Ihamayun/status/579229573084098561 https://twitter
com/fad70/status/579203020262522880 https://twitter
com/Shahzadi_maha/status/579222305672294400 https://twitter
com/syeda_yasra/status/579215653917323264 https://twitter
com/JunejoAqsa/status/579167263837782016 https://twitter
com/mak_asif/status/578888567684014080 https://twitter
com/nailainayat/status/578876978943520768 https://twitter
com/faizanlakhani/status/578873994646036480 This is probably the saddest World Cup tournament for Pakistani cricket fans
Our assets, our anchors, will always be cherished and revered
Dear Misbah and Afridi, thank you for making us laugh and giving us incredible memories
You will always be remembered in the history of Pakistani cricket as heroes
| Date: | 22-Mar-2015 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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