Mohammad Hafeez: From hero to zero

[msb314]

Despite the ambiguous title - I will go straight into it and discuss about M. Hafeez.

After reading the reports of his falling out with Mickey Arthur - it is clear he is damaging his legacy and dragging on his career for far too long.

The perfect time to retire would have been after the 2017 CT final - he played out of his skin that game and his 57* off 37 balls was just as crucial to our victory as Fakhar's century and Amir's opening spell. Had he retired then - he would be known as a national icon and a hero in the eyes of fans, former players and commentators.

But as we know in Pakistan cricket - our players think everything can last forever. His own batting form is inconsistent and after his bowling ban - his utility for the team is reduced even further.

M. Hafeez - thank you for your services but it is time to retire with grace!

 

[Syed1]

That "with grace" train has long left the station buddy.

He will retire like Misbah after being on the verge of getting kicked out.

 

[Rayyman]

Terrible thread my friend. Hafeez was never a hero.

 

[TeamPak95]

I mean.. those runs against SL tho...

 

[MMHS]

Despite the ambiguous title - I will go straight into it and discuss about M. Hafeez.

After reading the reports of his falling out with Mickey Arthur - it is clear he is damaging his legacy and dragging on his career for far too long.

The perfect time to retire would have been after the 2017 CT final - he played out of his skin that game and his 57* off 37 balls was just as crucial to our victory as Fakhar's century and Amir's opening spell. Had he retired then - he would be known as a national icon and a hero in the eyes of fans, former players and commentators.

But as we know in Pakistan cricket - our players think everything can last forever. His own batting form is inconsistent and after his bowling ban - his utility for the team is reduced even further.

M. Hafeez - thank you for your services but it is time to retire with grace!

Not only Hafeez, this is applicable for Malik, Azhar as well, may be Wahab also (at least from ODI). After CT win, I actually wrote that these players have the perfect opportunity to retire on high and these days, with so many PLs & SLs, financials are not a big issue either.

Definitely, it shouldn't have gone to such level that after 2 decades, MoHa, Malik had to be dragged from their seat. I can recall 1991, when 6 months before 1992 WC, Viv retired after scoring a crucial 60 in his last Test innings (& a match winning 78 in his penultimate ODI innings 3 months earlier). This was Viv Richards and in a WC in AUS, he would have been among top 20 batsmen, if not top 10 - had he been there. He kept playing for Somerset for couple more years, but August 1991 was last game for WI, when he was 39.

When asked, he said - ".......... it's better to live when people is asking why, rather why not - Viv Richards has to play like Viv Richards ......"

 

[Eagle_Eye]

He was never a hero. Someone whose luck came in and had new lease of life due to the trio fixing scandal.

 

[coy0607]

Huh?

Did you just use hero and Hafeez in the same sentence??

Since when does a 57 in a single innings make you a hero. Fakhar and Amir were the hero's of the CT final