Has Shahid Afridi been wasted down the order in T20s and T20Is?

[Abdullah719]

Afridi has played down the order for much of his career in the shortest format of the game, usually being utilised in the death overs. Considering that he often gets caught at the boundaries, would using him up the order have been a better idea? He could have been a useful option in power-plays - even a quick 20 or 30 can provide a team with a lot of momentum in a T20. He's only opened in around 20 innings out of 250+ T20s.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shahid Afridi after his 100 in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/T20Blast?src=hash">#T20Blast</a> "I told the captain that you're wasting me at #7/8, please send me up the order" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash">#Cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/W6kduwfg4L">pic.twitter.com/W6kduwfg4L</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/900382829833592832">August 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[IMMY69]

I watched all of his innings yesterday and was rooting for him to get to his hundred.
Having said that, Derbyshire were awful and didn't bowl any bouncers at him until the delivery that finally got him out.

It almost seemed like everyone knew about his weakness apart from the Derbyshire bowlers....

So well done Afridi on an entertaining hundred but no I think most bowlers know how to get him out and hence his chances of success are better lower down the order when the ball is older.

 

[Plumb]

Not based on yesterday's innings but I always thought that he should be utilized up the order. When he was failing in ODIs and T20s the wise move was to give him a crack up the order as a pinch hitter straight away even if his success % was in single digits I am pretty sure those quick runs would have resulted in a "W" for pak.

 

[IMMY69]

I think he batted at number 3 in the final stages of the 2009 T20 World Cup. Thereafter he was captain for most part and yet batted himself down the order. Wonder why?

 

[Zaz]

He opened the batting early in his career for several years His record was pretty much the same as it was down the order

 

[www787]

In that inning, he should have been out 3 times.

His game didn't change, his mindset didn't change, he was the same Afridi, he just got lucky to not get out first 3 times in one inning by playing shots that he is known for.

So, No!

 

[Markhor]

Afridi was captain for many years of our ODI and T20 teams - he could've promoted himself up the order but neglected to do so.

Therefore one cannot hold anyone else responsible for that decision.

 

[Abdullah719]

He opened the batting early in his career for several years His record was pretty much the same as it was down the order

He's only opened the innings in around 20 T20s total out of 250+ matches.

Looking at T20 teams around the world, it's becoming increasingly more common to utilise hitters at the top of the order even if they aren't likely to contribute an awful lot with the bat.

 

[MMHS]

He opened the batting early in his career for several years His record was pretty much the same as it was down the order

That tells what a tremendous player he could have been in top 3 in the later part of his career when the game had shifted from 220 to 320 par scores!!!!!


Posters might get upset, but apart from PAK, any other ODI side (that's probably too 14 now) or T20 side (up to P&G I believe) would have used him in top 3/4 and sometimes as a floater to counter spinners. In fact, he wasn't that bad as a Test opener in Asia - out side Asia might not be that good, still I back him to better MoHa' legendary stats in SAF, NZ, WI & ENG.

 

[shaz619]

I think that is true to an extent, he is inconsistent but has played some of his best knocks ever in the top order

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

It's nothing new. Shahid Afridi always has been more useful up the order when the fielders are in.

The problem with Pakistan always has been that we think about preserving wickets instead of scoring quick in the powerplays. Our mindset didn't allow such batsmen a consistent run at the top.

I think Mickey Arthur is the first one after a long time who has tried changing that. Like @MHHS said other countries either would have utilized Afridi well in limited overs (sending him in the powerplays) or dropped him. Instead of that Pakistan always let Afridi have his own way. The prince of the crowd.

 

[Prince of Pakistan]

Afridi was captain for many years of our ODI and T20 teams - he could've promoted himself up the order but neglected to do so.

Therefore one cannot hold anyone else responsible for that decision.

He was a reluctant opener yes, but the team should have been put first. Golden boy always had its way.

 

[ExplicitAI]

One reason as to why I think he wanted to bat down the order was that he wanted to focus on his bowling a lot more and just see his batting as just a bonus for the team. From 2011 and onwards his bowling was phenomenal, batsmen were losing their off-stump to him plenty of times as well as falling leg before.