Shahid Afridi Completes 8000 ODI Runs, the Long and Short of it

Shahid Afridi smashed a typically breezy 7-ball 21 (1 x 4, 2 x 6) in a Pool B Cricket World Cup 2015 match against United Arab Emirates at Napier on Wednesday to enter the record books for scoring 8000 runs in One Day Internationals. The leg-spinning all-rounder got his first World Cup 2015 wickets (2/35) as Pakistan steamrolled UAE in a one-sided match. (Blog | Scorecard | Points Table)

Among the most exciting cricketers in modern cricket, Afridi has the highest strike rate of 116.86 among 27 batsmen with 8000 runs or more in ODIs. Afridi, who took 367 innings for an aggregate of 8019 runs (average 23.58), is followed by India's Virender Sehwag (8273 runs from 245 innings), who has a strike rate of 104.33. Afridi is the fourth Pakistani batsman to complete 8000 runs in ODIs, joining Inzamam-ul-Haq (11739), Mohammad Yousuf (9720)and Saeed Anwar (8824). (Shehzad, Misbah Star as Pakistan Thrash UAE)

Strike-rates don't reflect the impact of a batsman. Consistency has been a problem with Afridi and his propensity to go from hot to cold has made Pakistan suffer. Nothing explains this better than this piece of statistic: Afridi has taken 367 innings to reach 8000 -- the slowest by any batsman for this milestone, eclipsing Mahela Jayawardene's feat of reaching the milestone in 278 innings!

Among the top 10 in the world with best strike rates and over 8000 runs, there are seven Asian cricketers. Adam Gilchrist (Australia), Chris Gayle (West Indies)and Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa) figure in the list. Gilchrist (strike rate 96.94) is No. 3 on the list while Gayle (84.82) and Gibbs (83.26) are No. 9 and 10.

The 35-year-old Afridi, probably playing his last World Cup, is yet to live up to his flamboyant reputation as an all-rounder. In Pakistan's World Cup 2015 opener against India, he went wicketless (0/50) and scored a run-a-ball 22 when he should have held the innings together at Adelaide. India won by 76 runs.

The sense of responsibility has often deserted this boom-boom Pathan, whose presence in the team has not helped Pakistan in the World Cup so far. Former West Indian captain Brian Lara has questioned Afridi's role after he failed to take a single wicket against West Indies (0/48) and Zimbabwe (0/53). Contributions of 20s have not helped the Green Shirts.

Yet Afridi remains a respected cricketer for having taken 395 wickets in addition to 8000 runs. He is the second all-rounder after Sanath Jayasuriya (13430 + 323 wickets in 445 matches) to complete the feat of 8000 runs and 300 wickets in ODIs.

Meanwhile, Pakistan (339/6) recorded their second highest World Cup score against UAE at Napier. Pakistan's highest is 349 versus Zimbabwe at Kingston on March 21, 2007. Overall, five totals of 300 or more have been registered by Pakistan in World Cups.

Top scorer Ahmed Shehzad (93) posted his first World Cup fifty in nine innings, outstripping his previous highest of 47 against India at Adelaide on February 15, 2015.

Shehzad's 93 is the second highest by a Pakistani opener in World Cups in New Zealand, next only to the 119 not out by Rameez Raja versus New Zealand at Christchurch on March 18, 1992.

Unfortunately, Shehzad is the second Pakistani batsman to be dismissed in the nervous nineties in World Cups. Zaheer Abbas was the first -- 97 versus Sri Lanka at Nottingham on June 14, 1975 and 93 against West Indies at The Oval on June 20, 1979.

(With inputs from Rajesh Kumar)