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[VIDEOS] Test debut at 38 - How effective will Asif Afridi prove for Pakistan?

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Ball Blazer

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Debutant Asif Afridi is all set to feature in his first-ever Test match as Pakistan are all set to face off against South Africa in the second Test match at Rawalpindi Stadium.

He has replaced Hasan Ali in the playing XI as the visitors have made only one change for the series decider.

He recieved his debut cap from Shaheen Shah Afridi and was appreciated by fellow players and coaches.

At 38 years and 299 days, Asif Afridi becomes the second-oldest Test debutant for Pakistan (third if you include Amir Elahi, who first played for India).


Let's see how Asif will impress - all eyes on his performance now.

 
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At 38 years and 299 days, Asif Afridi becomes the second-oldest Test debutant for Pakistan (third if you include Amir Elahi, who first played for India).
 
Ball Blazer said:
Debutant Asif Afridi is all set to feature in his first-ever Test match as Pakistan are all set to face off against South Africa in the second Test match at Rawalpindi Stadium.

He has replaced Hasan Ali in the playing XI as the visitors have made only one change for the series decider.

He recieved his debut cap from Shaheen Shah Afridi and was appreciated by fellow players and coaches.

Let's see how Asif will impress - all eyes on his performance now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1980131856512176321
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Whos the Godfather for him? would like to know what message are we sending to all youngsta out there ? you have to wait till 38+ for debut
 
Ball Blazer said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/1980135549966188650
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It might not make any sense from the team POV, but seems like a nice little personal gift for an individual. Nice speech from Shaheen explaining how long this guy has been grinding.

Did Salman Agha touch his feet there? Didn't know Pakistanis followed this custom. Is it rare or actually common to bow down or touch the feet of people you respect?
 
He is a good bowler and deserved to play a few years back, probably in T20s. But at this point, and after his scandal, its not exactly the best decision. On this strip he will probably do well but Pakistan should have looked to the future and picked one of the younger spinners in Abrar or Faisal or a spinning allrounder in Mubasir or Minhas. If in some way this is a farewell or reward for his toil then it should have come in T20s. In any case it is unlikely he will play another season regardless of performance.
 
I get the negativity but I feel it might be also seen as a reward for those grinding in domestic cricket for years (I think Asif made his first class debut in 2009), "keep performing you’ll get your chance one day" kind of messaging that would show that domestic cricket is taken seriously, never seen him bowl but from the stats he’s a bowling all rounder who got good returns in the last 4/5 years and is also handy with the bat (couple of 50s), so good luck.
 
If Hasan Ali can get so many chances along with so many other non-deserving players, what is then wrong in playing a deserving but an older player?
 
Horses for courses. If Asif can help Pakistan win the current test that's fine.
 
HaiderAmmar said:
If Hasan Ali can get so many chances along with so many other non-deserving players, what is then wrong in playing a deserving but an older player?
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I'm genuinely pleased for him, but as a Pakistan fan it makes more sense to trial a young spinner in helpful conditions where he can be guided by Nomi and Sajid.

Someone that can then take the reigns and has some experience under their belt during the next WTC cycle.
 
It must be weird for some of the guys out there to be playing with someone genuinely old enough to be their dad...
 
Definetly been to the beauty parlour for steam facial and kala kola application

What next recall of yusuf , razzaq , misbah and kami or even the evergreen shahid afridi making a return 😄
 
Bit like the Tabish Khan selection in 2021 vs Zimbabwe where we give an old timer some toffee for grinding it out in FC cricket for so long.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I'm genuinely pleased for him, but as a Pakistan fan it makes more sense to trial a young spinner in helpful conditions where he can be guided by Nomi and Sajid.

Someone that can then take the reigns and has some experience under their belt during the next WTC cycle.
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yeah for sure, i'd have liked faisal akram to have played instead. happy for asif afridi for sure, been great in domestic but we should probably look to the future
 
This is such a Pakistani thing to do. Giving an old domestic performer a test debut at 38.

I don't mind it as long as he delivers with the ball. He definitely brings something different to the attack with his accuracy and high release-point.
 
sweep_shot said:
Very unusual for a 38-year old to make a Test debut.

Anyway, good for him I guess. All the best to him.
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He's probably much older

Shaheen couldn't help taking a tongue in cheek dig with his cap presentation when asif was young me and my brother would go and watch him play 😄

One can only imagine the true age with that statement .


Ridicolous stuff most athletes start tailoring off at 35 and retirement beckons and here our Einsteins are giving debuts.

Kick in the face of the youngsters even saim ayub could have been groomed as spinner lower order batsmen in test cricket

Sufyan muqeem , abrar , faisal

Even a second pacer like khurram shahzad unfairly benched
 
I can see why they went for him. There is precedent of course in selecting zulfiqar babar and noman Ali so this has happened before. Quite rightly they have gone for accuracy and containment over mystery and occasional loose ball from Abrar. I think it’s a real statement from selectors. Consistency over flamboyance.
 
I've now come to the conclusion azhar mahmood is an absolute id**t , not only debut but he has a bright future ? Anyone 39 yrs old bright future at intl level ? 😄
 
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mazkhan said:
I've now come to the conclusion azhar mahmood is an absolute id**t , not only debut but he has a bright future ? Anyone 39 yrs old bright future at intl level ? 😄
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That is funny but not as crazy as it sounds. Noman age 39 is sitting on 93 test wickets. He might get there in this his 21st test in which case he will be one of the fastest there after Yasir, ajmal waqar.

The same can be said for Afridi. He might go on for a bit in tests or another format who knows. The future is bright after decades of toil.
 
In other countries, players are long retired from international cricket by the age of 38. But in Pakistan, we are handing out a debut to a 38 year old.

On a personal level, I am happy for Asif Afridi as one's age shouldn't come in the way of achieving their dreams. But this isn't a good look for our cricket, which is already a circus show.
 
The_KING said:
In other countries, players are long retired from international cricket by the age of 38. But in Pakistan, we are handing out a debut to a 38 year old.

On a personal level, I am happy for Asif Afridi as one's age shouldn't come in the way of achieving their dreams. But this isn't a good look for our cricket, which is already a circus show.
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If he help win couple of matches in this cycle then this is worth investment...with WTC cycle long term planning didn't matters......abrar bowl soo much loose in test cricket.....
 
Captain is 36 years old. Proper test match legends league. I think they should bring back Younis Khan in place of Babar Azam. He will love to play alongside his classmate Noman Ali.
 
pillionrider said:
It might not make any sense from the team POV, but seems like a nice little personal gift for an individual. Nice speech from Shaheen explaining how long this guy has been grinding.

Did Salman Agha touch his feet there? Didn't know Pakistanis followed this custom. Is it rare or actually common to bow down or touch the feet of people you respect?
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Among Muslims (we practice this in SL as well) and I have noticed this among people from Tamil Nadu (immaterial of religion) to touch the feat not in a prostrating manner, but more like saying "sorry" when you accidentally step on someone.
 
If they had to bring in an Aftidi, they could have tried Shahid Afridi, he’s only 36.

Jokes aside, I’m happy to see him debut. If he has experience and has been in good form recently, it makes sense to bring him in the team. Your goal as PCT is to win matches, nothing wrong in bringing on whoever helps you get there.
 
Mirpuri Don said:
I get the negativity but I feel it might be also seen as a reward for those grinding in domestic cricket for years (I think Asif made his first class debut in 2009), "keep performing you’ll get your chance one day" kind of messaging that would show that domestic cricket is taken seriously, never seen him bowl but from the stats he’s a bowling all rounder who got good returns in the last 4/5 years and is also handy with the bat (couple of 50s), so good luck.
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Plus I think Test prayers also get pension from PCB after retirement and a few other honors alongside being a Test player in history books
 
mazkhan said:
Definetly been to the beauty parlour for steam facial and kala kola application

What next recall of yusuf , razzaq , misbah and kami or even the evergreen shahid afridi making a return 😄
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Shahid Afridi can still make a comeback tbh. Looks pretty young
 
On his debut, he scored 4 off 3 balls.... Let's see what he has in the tank when he comes to bowl..
 
I think the selections of all these 'chachas' points to deeper issues in Pakistan's system. The fact that there aren't enough young spinners coming through that the selectors feel can be relied on in test cricket.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I think the selections of all these 'chachas' points to deeper issues in Pakistan's system. The fact that there aren't enough young spinners coming through that the selectors feel can be relied on in test cricket.
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There are young spinners in pakistan but they are not tried for example qasim aktam was in the squad but was released we are going backward day by day no new players are being tried spinners or pacers our cricket system is failing badly
 
zahid01 said:
There are young spinners in pakistan but they are not tried for example qasim aktam was in the squad but was released we are going backward day by day no new players are being tried spinners or pacers our cricket system is failing badly
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I think you mean Faisal Akram, and I have seen him play...fail to see what's so impressive about him. He has played all of 11 FC matches, which hardly makes him ready for test cricket, let alone a better option than these 'chachas', who have a wealth of experience and consistent performances under their belt.
 
Sorry fsisal akram in pakistan domestic cricket system is flawed you need to identify a talent and try it you are never going to develop a player in pakistan they have to learn the hard way in international arena against teams like Zimbabwe if we stick our head in the sand and say there is no talent in pakistan we might as well pack it in how long are we going to play musical chairs with these losers.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
He is a good bowler.

I hope we select him in a t20i. He can get league contract before his retirement
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You’re too charitable mate, I know in Pak they don’t get a pension unlike in the UK, but we the Pakistan fans, should not be footing that bill.

Nice thought from you though, I’m sure Mr. Afridi’s wife & kids would appreciate such a gesture.
 
shaz619 said:
You’re too charitable mate, I know in Pak they don’t get a pension unlike in the UK, but we the Pakistan fans, should not be footing that bill.

Nice thought from you though, I’m sure Mr. Afridi’s wife & kids would appreciate such a gesture.
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I have a soft soft for these domestic pros from humble backgrounds.

This guy is another who's been through a lot, his daughter was seriously ill, supposedly bookies tried to manipulate him too and he served a small ban.


I think we should take the approach that Brazil did back in the day and give players international caps to inflate their value, then let them play leagues around the world.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
I have a soft soft for these domestic pros from humble backgrounds.

This guy is another who's been through a lot, his daughter was seriously ill, supposedly bookies tried to manipulate him too and he served a small ban.


I think we should take the approach that Brazil did back in the day and give players international caps to inflate their value, then let them play leagues around the world.
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Yeh fair play to him, I won’t begrudge him his moment. However, this cannot be the way forward. We are better off trying a rookie spinnner
 
We did this with zulfiqar babar and then Noman Ali. There is nothing wrong with giving debuts to these older finger spinners. Sometimes they have incredible control, guile and experience something you don’t find in the younger generation
 
2 Chachas and Sajid conversation will go like

Chacha 1: Who was your favorite player when you were in school

Chacha 2: Hanif Mohammad

Chacha 1: Mine was intikahb alam

Sajid : Javed Miandad
 
When you already have a 39 year old Nauman in the playing 11 you dont add another oldie. It should be a young spinner. So from pakistans bench development this is a bad decision.

Happy for Asif though. Getting even a single test cap opens up better club contracts in UK and allows you to become a coach aswell in the UK clubs as a single international cap holds alot of value in the cricket industry
 
Major said:
When you already have a 39 year old Nauman in the playing 11 you dont add another oldie. It should be a young spinner. So from pakistans bench development this is a bad decision.

Happy for Asif though. Getting even a single test cap opens up better club contracts in UK and allows you to become a coach aswell in the UK clubs as a single international cap holds alot of value in the cricket industry
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There is an issue though

I don't think Abrar is ready for these kind of pitches yet

He tries to many varieties and most importantly he delivers a lot of flighted (slower) deliveries

On these turning pitches where the ball keeps low, variety is good but too many slower flighted deliveries will cost you runs. Flighted deliveries of spinners are more useful in bouncy or flatter conditions. That's why Shane Warne who had amazing flighted deliveries did so well in Australia & other countries but doesn't have a great record in India. Although the batting skills of Indians did play a role but Warne's flight deliveries did help the former too

Abrar will still take wickets in these conditions but at the same time will also give away runs. Abrar is better suited for the middle-eastern pitches for the red all games and white ball games anywhere in the world. He will also do well in Sena countries (red ball). He is young but has huge potential and will improve over time

In my opinion, given the conditions, Asif was a better choice.
 
India has a 38 year old veteran Jalaj saxena. He has insane stats.

151 matches 487 wickets 25. average

He has also scored 7100 runs @33 average with 14 centuries. Even in the match that concluded last week joined RUturaj at 18 for 5 and made 49 runs.
 
And he takes his third one of the inning... That too in the very first over.


These are his wickets late on Day 2..

 
DeadlyVenom said:
This guy is another who's been through a lot, his daughter was seriously ill, supposedly bookies tried to manipulate him too and he served a small ban.
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Why is someone who served a ban playing International cricket?
 
Unplayable so far on day 3... That late burst on Day 2 has triggered a collapse..thanks to Asif

 
Brilliant stuff

But can't help wondering where has he been and how system overlooked him .
 
Fifer on debut done... 2nd Pakistani spinner to do it... Brilliant

Oldest debutants to take five-fors in Test Cricket

- 38y 299d - Asif Afridi (2025)
- 37y 332d - Charles Marriott (1933)
- 37y 258d - Hines Johnson (1948)
- 37y 146d - Douglas Carr (1909)

 
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Happy for the guy but almost a 40 year old spinner making a debut is an awful look for Pakistan Cricket in general.
 
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