Cricket is more than the sports for Pakistan. For some it might be the game but for the masses it’s about their representation and reputation. It plays a crucial role in making or breaking the ties with other countries.
Since the past years of our cricket, we are always questioning why mismanagement is hauling our ever popular game?
The answer to this question lies in Game Changer.
After reading this book, you’ll come to know the dumb spots of cricket. And if you love Lala – Shahid Afridi then it’s a must read.
His straightforward attitude will let you take rounds of the challenges that come across his 20 years of journey.
Starting from his never-ending passion cricket to the Shahid Afridi foundation, his journey is full of twist and turns. We all know the fact that Pakistan’s cricket is unpredictable but I found that our players are more unpredictable.
I’m not a crazy fan of cricket but this book kept me engaged till the last page. I wonder about the impact it will create on the crazy cricket fans. Period.
So, let’s start with a brief snippet of this book.
An Overview
The book starts with a young kid whose career started in 1996 with the only intention to learn cricket, to chase his dreams and to play with the legends whom he had always dreamt about.
But his life takes a 360 degree turn when the legends he admired the most, turned their backs towards him.
He always chose to be honest regardless of the cost he has to bear later. And you’ll be shocked to know the number of conspiracies he has revealed in his book.
Despite all the scandals and bad mouthing, he knows how to make things work by focusing on his match. The best thing about him is that he sidelined everything the moment he stepped on the ground. Regardless of the dirty dressing room politics, he worked hard to win the game for Pakistan.
He couldn’t resist his Pathan temperament and that sometimes added fuel to fire. That he also regret but it’s in his blood so he can’t help it out.
The toughest opponent of his cricket was his father who wanted him to attend school like others and stop cricketing. He never saw his son chasing cricket as a profession and used to hit him hard. But he’s the great Afridi, he not only won his father’s applause with his immaculate performance but also made his fans crazy about him.
Knowing the non-stop revealing of the black sheep of cricket, I now wonder why Game Changer is sparking controversy for the concerning authorities and cricket fans.
The Political Side It Covered
A part of this book is a bit dry and repetitive because he has talked about politics and also put forth his thoughts about the prominent political leaders and their interest in cricket. The banter he shared about Gen Raheel Sharif was humorous yet hilarious. He also patted Gen Pervez Musharraf for his goodwill about cricket.
Apart from that he talked about Indo-Pak politics and discussed the Indian’s leader which I think should be left for another political book.
So, in summary my ratings for this book is 3.2/5 and a shout out to Wajahat S. Khan for doing a splendid job and making this book an easy read.
The cricket world glitters from the outside but we never know what’s going behind the walls until we sneak inside. But reading game changer will make you realize that our system needs to change. How?
Let Afridi tell you that.
Now, that we know all the ebb and flow of our cricket board, it’s time to start implementing what Afridi has recommended about cricket.
For the love of Pakistan, we need to rise beyond all the challenges.
Adios!
I’d love to know your reviews about this book.
P. S: if you have zero interest in politics and cricket then it can be a bit boring for you. But if you have even one percent interest then go, buy it.
I prefer books and diaries more than phones and Facebook. Soulfully connected to Pakistan. And I passionately believe that I can change the world through blogging.
