Shahid Afridi, the Maverick Entertainer, Goes out with Another Flop-Show

He came in at his side reeling at 124/5. He smashed the second ball he faced over backward point. An over later, he sliced Mitchell Johnson over covers and into the crowd. There was hope in the air for Pakistan but Australians had a smirk on their lips. (Australia Beat Pakistan)

It was only a matter of time.

An ugly whack towards the shortest boundary in Adelaide saw Aaron Finch end Shahid Afridi's last one-day international innings. The ball wasn't short enough to be hit but when has that stopped Afridi?

For one last time, Afridi paced-off the field with a heap of disappointment behind him. (Misbah, Afridi Bow Out in Frustration)

There are good cricketers, there are legends and then there is Shahid Afridi. He belongs to a rare breed who played the game with the sole purpose of entertaining the audience.

Playing his second ODI and his first innings, a 16-year-old blasted the reigning world champions Sri Lanka for the fastest ever century to be scored in ODI cricket. The 37-ball carnage made the cricket world sit up and take notice of the new wonder kid from Peshawar. (Wahab Riaz Leaves Australia Gasping)

For the next two decades, the story was of failed promises.

Experts have often blamed Afridi's fickle mindset but to be honest, after bludgeoning the fastest hundred, Afridi became a victim of irrational expectations. Every time he walked out to bat, the crowds and his team expected him to swing hard and light the stage on fire.

So, he kept swinging. He kept swinging for the next 20 years.

He possessed immense ability as an all-rounder. He could turn a game on its head with his all-round capabilities. He never became a Jacques Kallis but his achievements as an all-rounder cannot be undermined.

With his fast leg-breaks he claimed 395 wickets, which lists him in the fifth position in the all-time highest wicket-takers in ODIs. He struck more sixes in international cricket than anyone else and has the highest strike-rate among his contemporaries who have batted for at least 50 innings.

However, his knack for adventure only resulted in explosive cameos and abruptly ended his essays at the crease.

That speaks volumes about his attitude. Hailing from the rough terrains of Pakistan, the Afridi tribe is known for their warrior-like mentality and valor. Shahid Afridi brought the same on the cricket field. For him scoring in singles was an insult. He didn't just want to score, he wanted to smash his opposition.

In hindsight, Afridi symbolised Pakistan cricket -- flamboyance coupled with machismo and heroism.

However, there's a thin line between heroism and recklessness.

Afridi often fell into that trap and let his team down. Test cricket refused to own him and he didn't seek for the purists' approval. He was unapologetic about his style and stuck to his ways.

Modern day cricket doesn't care about romanticism. No wonder, the biggest entertainer of the cricketing world existed the stage with just a damp blip!