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Game Changer
Game Changer is the riveting memoir of Shahid Afridi, one of modern cricket’s most controversial and accomplished practitioners.
In 1996, as a teenager, Afridi shot to fame after hammering the fastest ODI century at the time. One of the world’s greatest all-rounders, today he holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket, scooping the most wickets in T20s and winning the most player-of-the-match awards in the same format.
From his humble beginnings in the mountains of Pakistan’s unruly northwest to the mean streets of Karachi and the county parks of southern England, Afridi tells his life story just the way he bats – instinctively, candidly and with no holds barred. In a career as unpredictable as his leg-break googlies and ‘boom-boom’ power hitting, Afridi has been many things – the lost kid focused on pulling his parents out of poverty, the desperate captain trying not to snitch on his corrupt teammates, the gallant Pashtun centurion staring down a hostile Indian crowd, and the bad boy at the center of a ball-tampering scandal.
In Game Changer, he sets the record straight once and for all. A must-read not only for his legion of fans across the world but also for those interested in cricket and Pakistan’s future.
In 1996, as a teenager, Afridi shot to fame after hammering the fastest ODI century at the time. One of the world’s greatest all-rounders, today he holds the distinction of having hit the most number of sixes in the history of ODI cricket, scooping the most wickets in T20s and winning the most player-of-the-match awards in the same format.
From his humble beginnings in the mountains of Pakistan’s unruly northwest to the mean streets of Karachi and the county parks of southern England, Afridi tells his life story just the way he bats – instinctively, candidly and with no holds barred. In a career as unpredictable as his leg-break googlies and ‘boom-boom’ power hitting, Afridi has been many things – the lost kid focused on pulling his parents out of poverty, the desperate captain trying not to snitch on his corrupt teammates, the gallant Pashtun centurion staring down a hostile Indian crowd, and the bad boy at the center of a ball-tampering scandal.
In Game Changer, he sets the record straight once and for all. A must-read not only for his legion of fans across the world but also for those interested in cricket and Pakistan’s future.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 30, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
September 23, 2020
The title is a bit misleading.Shahid Afridi changed the course of a few games,but in a career spanning twenty years,those games were few and far between.
Watching Shahid Afridi bat could be exciting,but that happened very rarely.More often than not,it was very frustrating,as he got out too quickly,playing wild slogs.
Interestingly,he was primarily a bowler,who is known more for his batting,as he could hit big sixes.Technically,he wasn't a proper batsman,but one who flourished in the age of T 20 cricket.
His entry into international cricket was sensational.Straightaway,he smashed the quickest hundred in One Day International cricket.The record was subsequently broken,but there is little in the book about that career defining innings.
One major achievement,however,was playing a key role in Pakistan's 2009,T 20 World Cup victory.He also famously snatched a last over victory against India,in the 2014 Asia Cup,by hitting two sixes in the last over.One of those was a mishit,however,which luckily went for six !
The book is mostly like Afridi's batting,rather erratic and disappointing,for the most part.His choice of ghost writer doesn't help,Wajahat Khan is a rather pompous and irritating TV anchor,and not really a writer.
The book is poorly written,but because of this,also provides moments when it becomes rather funny.It lacks any chronological order,and a proper structure.The chapters end abruptly.
Afridi is not happy with many Pakistani cricketers,particularly Javed Miandad,Mohammad Yousuf and Waqar Younis.Afridi uses some choice words for Indian cricketer,Gautam Gambir.
Afridi once actually bit a ball during a match in Australia and admits in the book that it was a stupid thing to do.
It was surprising to see a good part of the book devoted to Afridi's political views,although those views could just as easily be those of his co-author,Wajahat Khan.
At times,the book feels like a lecture on Pakistani politics.He isn't too happy with Asif Zardari and Imran Khan,and claims that all the major parties tried to get him to join them.
He was supposed to be 16 years old when he made his international debut.But in the book he admits that that was not the case,as his date of birth was not accurately recorded when he was born.
Overall,a disappointing read,which only occasionally comes to life.
Watching Shahid Afridi bat could be exciting,but that happened very rarely.More often than not,it was very frustrating,as he got out too quickly,playing wild slogs.
Interestingly,he was primarily a bowler,who is known more for his batting,as he could hit big sixes.Technically,he wasn't a proper batsman,but one who flourished in the age of T 20 cricket.
His entry into international cricket was sensational.Straightaway,he smashed the quickest hundred in One Day International cricket.The record was subsequently broken,but there is little in the book about that career defining innings.
One major achievement,however,was playing a key role in Pakistan's 2009,T 20 World Cup victory.He also famously snatched a last over victory against India,in the 2014 Asia Cup,by hitting two sixes in the last over.One of those was a mishit,however,which luckily went for six !
The book is mostly like Afridi's batting,rather erratic and disappointing,for the most part.His choice of ghost writer doesn't help,Wajahat Khan is a rather pompous and irritating TV anchor,and not really a writer.
The book is poorly written,but because of this,also provides moments when it becomes rather funny.It lacks any chronological order,and a proper structure.The chapters end abruptly.
Afridi is not happy with many Pakistani cricketers,particularly Javed Miandad,Mohammad Yousuf and Waqar Younis.Afridi uses some choice words for Indian cricketer,Gautam Gambir.
Afridi once actually bit a ball during a match in Australia and admits in the book that it was a stupid thing to do.
It was surprising to see a good part of the book devoted to Afridi's political views,although those views could just as easily be those of his co-author,Wajahat Khan.
At times,the book feels like a lecture on Pakistani politics.He isn't too happy with Asif Zardari and Imran Khan,and claims that all the major parties tried to get him to join them.
He was supposed to be 16 years old when he made his international debut.But in the book he admits that that was not the case,as his date of birth was not accurately recorded when he was born.
Overall,a disappointing read,which only occasionally comes to life.
May 9, 2019
Ok. This is going to be my 1st review of '19 & it'll be a lengthy one. So folks, buckle up your seat belts!
This was actually a 3.5/5 stars book for me and the main reason for deducting the rating was that it contained 2/3rd sports & 1/3rd political content. That didn't seem to be fair when you pick a book with the mindset of reading a super star cricketer's biography!
Other than this little flaw, Game changer was a quick, emotional & a joyous roller coaster ride. Its about the story of one of our country's most popular, somehow controversial, showstopper modern era's cricketer. Yeah, you guessed that right. He's none other than Sahibzada Shahid Khan Afridi.
Starting from his early childhood, book revealed interesting and motivational snaps of his adventurous life. Coming from a mediocre family with 11 kids, it wasn't a walk in the park, to opt cricket as a career. His devotion, perseverance, a solid stance & passion towards the game made him a world class player!
He explicitly told about the difficulties & obstacles which he faced not only on the streets of Karachi but in his own house as well, in the early days of his career. The icing on cake was his short temperament. As we all know that its not an easy task to handle & cool down a Pathan's blood 😀
His entrance on world stage was nothing less than a BANG. A 37 balls ODI century in mid 90's, wasn't a joke. Keeping in mind the fact, that he was actually a bowling all rounder, which he mentioned vigorously many a times. Blasting the opposition with his batting (though once in a blue moon) was his extra quality.
He openly admitted and admired two W's. But his mentor, as he claimed, was the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing! He praised him highly.
The sad part, which he described in detail, was that he wasn't handled and groomed properly by the national team coaches. Every coach tried to coax him, to become a strategically defensive type player (except Bob Woolmer. RIP.), especially Javed Miandad. That was the biggest let down for him as he was a natural hard hitter.
Apart from that he recalled all the great matches of ODI worldcups '99, '03, 07, '11, '15 & T20 worldcups '07, '09 until his last '16. He had a see saw cricketing career where sometimes he single handedly demolished the oppositions with his belligerent batting & bowling but at other occasions, he became sole cause of disappointment, not only for the team but for the nation as well.
He dissected the dressing room politics, senior-junior tussle, power houses in PCB, famous but controversial and darkened periods of Pak cricket including the incidents of Darrell Hair, spot fixing & ball tampering in '10, modern commercialization of Cricket and race for gaining team captaincy.
In the last part, he thoroughly discussed geo-political situation of sub-continent and that's where my interest wavered. He criticized, openly, all famous big gun political parties of not only Pakistan but India as well. Though I agree with him on several points but it was still odd for me, to read his political views in his biography. He mentioned his SAF (Shahid Afridi Foundation) and some of its achievements in social work which I felt really proud to read. Overall it was really an interesting read & its really hard for the reader to toil away, once he pick this book. Recommended for every Cricket lover 😊
P.S I loved, actually surprised, to see this gorgeous poster at the end of book. Moreover tell me what you guys are reading, now-a-days?
This was actually a 3.5/5 stars book for me and the main reason for deducting the rating was that it contained 2/3rd sports & 1/3rd political content. That didn't seem to be fair when you pick a book with the mindset of reading a super star cricketer's biography!
Other than this little flaw, Game changer was a quick, emotional & a joyous roller coaster ride. Its about the story of one of our country's most popular, somehow controversial, showstopper modern era's cricketer. Yeah, you guessed that right. He's none other than Sahibzada Shahid Khan Afridi.
Starting from his early childhood, book revealed interesting and motivational snaps of his adventurous life. Coming from a mediocre family with 11 kids, it wasn't a walk in the park, to opt cricket as a career. His devotion, perseverance, a solid stance & passion towards the game made him a world class player!
He explicitly told about the difficulties & obstacles which he faced not only on the streets of Karachi but in his own house as well, in the early days of his career. The icing on cake was his short temperament. As we all know that its not an easy task to handle & cool down a Pathan's blood 😀
His entrance on world stage was nothing less than a BANG. A 37 balls ODI century in mid 90's, wasn't a joke. Keeping in mind the fact, that he was actually a bowling all rounder, which he mentioned vigorously many a times. Blasting the opposition with his batting (though once in a blue moon) was his extra quality.
He openly admitted and admired two W's. But his mentor, as he claimed, was the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing! He praised him highly.
The sad part, which he described in detail, was that he wasn't handled and groomed properly by the national team coaches. Every coach tried to coax him, to become a strategically defensive type player (except Bob Woolmer. RIP.), especially Javed Miandad. That was the biggest let down for him as he was a natural hard hitter.
Apart from that he recalled all the great matches of ODI worldcups '99, '03, 07, '11, '15 & T20 worldcups '07, '09 until his last '16. He had a see saw cricketing career where sometimes he single handedly demolished the oppositions with his belligerent batting & bowling but at other occasions, he became sole cause of disappointment, not only for the team but for the nation as well.
He dissected the dressing room politics, senior-junior tussle, power houses in PCB, famous but controversial and darkened periods of Pak cricket including the incidents of Darrell Hair, spot fixing & ball tampering in '10, modern commercialization of Cricket and race for gaining team captaincy.
In the last part, he thoroughly discussed geo-political situation of sub-continent and that's where my interest wavered. He criticized, openly, all famous big gun political parties of not only Pakistan but India as well. Though I agree with him on several points but it was still odd for me, to read his political views in his biography. He mentioned his SAF (Shahid Afridi Foundation) and some of its achievements in social work which I felt really proud to read. Overall it was really an interesting read & its really hard for the reader to toil away, once he pick this book. Recommended for every Cricket lover 😊
P.S I loved, actually surprised, to see this gorgeous poster at the end of book. Moreover tell me what you guys are reading, now-a-days?
May 9, 2019
Just finished reading this recently released memoir of Shahid Afridi. I don't usually review books here but I have a lot to say about this one:
- It is so frickin' repetetive. The same theme, over and over again, throughout the whole book.
- It just sounds like a teenager whining about how everybody wronged him and nobody understood how to deal with him
- The book feels like a bunch of short essays collection which has been bound and sold as a book.
- Mind you, this is supposed to be a memoir about Shahid Afridi, who had a 20 year stint in the Pakistan Cricket Team. With more than a fair share of momentous and turbulent times in our cricketing history, yet he only briefly summarizes those bits into a few sentences and then continues to blabber about the same repetetive stuff.
- There's more stuff about politics than details of his certain famous knocks.
- Did I mention that it is a very poorly written book?
- Due to his over simplification and summarization of even personal stories, I never felt connected to them. And I tried.
I love reading memoirs and biographies but they've all, almost always, been in excess of at least 300 pages. When I picked this one up, I was a little surprised as to how short this one was. Having read it now, I know why.
Having said that, some of the stories were atleast nice to know.
- It is so frickin' repetetive. The same theme, over and over again, throughout the whole book.
- It just sounds like a teenager whining about how everybody wronged him and nobody understood how to deal with him
- The book feels like a bunch of short essays collection which has been bound and sold as a book.
- Mind you, this is supposed to be a memoir about Shahid Afridi, who had a 20 year stint in the Pakistan Cricket Team. With more than a fair share of momentous and turbulent times in our cricketing history, yet he only briefly summarizes those bits into a few sentences and then continues to blabber about the same repetetive stuff.
- There's more stuff about politics than details of his certain famous knocks.
- Did I mention that it is a very poorly written book?
- Due to his over simplification and summarization of even personal stories, I never felt connected to them. And I tried.
I love reading memoirs and biographies but they've all, almost always, been in excess of at least 300 pages. When I picked this one up, I was a little surprised as to how short this one was. Having read it now, I know why.
Having said that, some of the stories were atleast nice to know.
May 10, 2019
The book is all over the place with no structure.
There are some interesting tidbits sprinkled, but mostly seemed like a rant over PCB, other players and in general.
The less said the better about the long passages about his take on politics.
There are some interesting tidbits sprinkled, but mostly seemed like a rant over PCB, other players and in general.
The less said the better about the long passages about his take on politics.
May 15, 2019
All Hype No Show
Shahid Afridi beats his chest, and tries to tell his readers what he did and why he did it. He's very repetative in his narrative about his team squabbles and lays out bare some of the inside information / locker room stories, which are very few btw, and not very interesting, least to say. I got this book with great anticipation only to be disappointed.
Shahid Afridi beats his chest, and tries to tell his readers what he did and why he did it. He's very repetative in his narrative about his team squabbles and lays out bare some of the inside information / locker room stories, which are very few btw, and not very interesting, least to say. I got this book with great anticipation only to be disappointed.
May 8, 2019
Quite poorly written - almost sounds like Wajahat S Khan's pompous and oftentimes vacuous monologues on Pakistani news channels. Extremely long and winding sentences don't help the situation one bit.
October 18, 2021
"I like comebacks. Particularly in terms of what it does for you as a player, psychologically. Comebacks give you an objective, a point to prove, a target to hit."
Average. Border narcissist with match reports syndrome.
Honestly, I never had great expectations from this autobiography of Boom Boom Shahid Afridi. However, what I liked about this book is how proud Afridi is of his Pathan heritage. His childhood stories are fascinating. And then the fascination stops post the childhood.
Afridi was a match winner when he used to destroy the opposition teams with either batting or bowling on his day. But these performances were as rare as goldust. Some days it was like -
But most of the days -
And then there was a mentioned of this instance between Afridi and Gautam Gambhir.
I don't know why this has so much significance in this book to deserve a mention. However, Afridi mentions the matches where he was the third highest scorer in Pakistan's innings and still Pakistan lost. There were some random mentions of average performances in major matches which feels like a filler.
If that wasn't bad enough, he starts making hilarious claims. He drones and drones about how BCCI and India are isolating Pakistan and ruining cricket. Then he begs BCCI to allow cricket between India and Pakistan to improve relations between two countries when his own countrymen are sponsoring terrorists and supplying drugs in to India. Then he rants how Modi and BJP arehurting Pakistan ruining India-Pakistan relationship and doing atrocities on the Muslims in India. Then mentions that there was a great rivalry between him and Virat Kohli.
To top it up, Afridi shares some information at the end which feels like I am reading a slambook from 1990s/2000s.
Average. Border narcissist with match reports syndrome.
Honestly, I never had great expectations from this autobiography of Boom Boom Shahid Afridi. However, what I liked about this book is how proud Afridi is of his Pathan heritage. His childhood stories are fascinating. And then the fascination stops post the childhood.
Afridi was a match winner when he used to destroy the opposition teams with either batting or bowling on his day. But these performances were as rare as goldust. Some days it was like -
But most of the days -
And then there was a mentioned of this instance between Afridi and Gautam Gambhir.
I don't know why this has so much significance in this book to deserve a mention. However, Afridi mentions the matches where he was the third highest scorer in Pakistan's innings and still Pakistan lost. There were some random mentions of average performances in major matches which feels like a filler.
If that wasn't bad enough, he starts making hilarious claims. He drones and drones about how BCCI and India are isolating Pakistan and ruining cricket. Then he begs BCCI to allow cricket between India and Pakistan to improve relations between two countries when his own countrymen are sponsoring terrorists and supplying drugs in to India. Then he rants how Modi and BJP are
To top it up, Afridi shares some information at the end which feels like I am reading a slambook from 1990s/2000s.
July 14, 2019
I give it a 5-star. Why? Because, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Before I dig deep, let me start by saying this. I AM NOT A AFRIDI FAN. Yes, like any other Pakistani, my heart beat used to become abnormal every time 'Boom Boom' arrived on pitch. He was the last hope - every single time. He disappointed many times, made us proud may times too.
Back to the book now...
It was a great experience reading someone who spent 20 years in my favorite sport i.e., cricket. Not only Afridi was open about his teammates but he very bravely named out black sheep we had in our team. The dressing room politics, the rumors, the myths, he wrote about almost everything. Everything he could fit in approx 220 pages.
He further talked about his political ambitions and his future as a social worker. He gave out some suggestions to Pakistani politicians and Generals. Further, Afridi reminisced about his interactions with different political and army leaders.
Afridi busted out many myths. He, on the other hand, talked about myths that were not just myths.
THE DOWNSIDE:
While reading book, you might feel like a 10-year old whining about his bad performance in international cricket and blaming almost everyone - accepting as little responsibility of his bad performance as he could.
Nonetheless, it was an extremely good read. After a long, I have enjoyed a biography this much. I wish it had at least 100 pages more. Therefore, despite of all the downsides, I still give it a 5-star.
Before I dig deep, let me start by saying this. I AM NOT A AFRIDI FAN. Yes, like any other Pakistani, my heart beat used to become abnormal every time 'Boom Boom' arrived on pitch. He was the last hope - every single time. He disappointed many times, made us proud may times too.
Back to the book now...
It was a great experience reading someone who spent 20 years in my favorite sport i.e., cricket. Not only Afridi was open about his teammates but he very bravely named out black sheep we had in our team. The dressing room politics, the rumors, the myths, he wrote about almost everything. Everything he could fit in approx 220 pages.
He further talked about his political ambitions and his future as a social worker. He gave out some suggestions to Pakistani politicians and Generals. Further, Afridi reminisced about his interactions with different political and army leaders.
Afridi busted out many myths. He, on the other hand, talked about myths that were not just myths.
THE DOWNSIDE:
While reading book, you might feel like a 10-year old whining about his bad performance in international cricket and blaming almost everyone - accepting as little responsibility of his bad performance as he could.
Nonetheless, it was an extremely good read. After a long, I have enjoyed a biography this much. I wish it had at least 100 pages more. Therefore, despite of all the downsides, I still give it a 5-star.
May 24, 2019
Shahid Afridi had been one of best examples of Pakistani Cricketers who could never channelize their talent.
I never liked him. He was some sort of player who would just abandon his team in crucial moment of a match. But he would play a wild innings in another match when it was not needed, and exactly the cricket our nation likes, was His style. Which ultimately tells us lack of cricket sense and seriousness in our population.
It was Goodluck that he kept getting chances to come back as it wasn't tough competition on that times.
However His last years were better. He had some memorable all-round performances for His team.
I won't say that His book is very bad but I would say its written very poorly. It's not product of any raw manuscript. Book had been retrieved from audio tapes and random conversations.
Incidents and data are very scattered and very repeative. I guess it would be burden for anyone who doesn't understand national politics and domestic cricket system.
Afridi is very blunt in this book and like his fearless batting style, He talked openly. His brief background, personal experiences with former players and coaching staff, insight info about spot fixing scandle, Pak-India relationships, healthy criticism on Politics and Army are major highlights.
I never liked him. He was some sort of player who would just abandon his team in crucial moment of a match. But he would play a wild innings in another match when it was not needed, and exactly the cricket our nation likes, was His style. Which ultimately tells us lack of cricket sense and seriousness in our population.
It was Goodluck that he kept getting chances to come back as it wasn't tough competition on that times.
However His last years were better. He had some memorable all-round performances for His team.
I won't say that His book is very bad but I would say its written very poorly. It's not product of any raw manuscript. Book had been retrieved from audio tapes and random conversations.
Incidents and data are very scattered and very repeative. I guess it would be burden for anyone who doesn't understand national politics and domestic cricket system.
Afridi is very blunt in this book and like his fearless batting style, He talked openly. His brief background, personal experiences with former players and coaching staff, insight info about spot fixing scandle, Pak-India relationships, healthy criticism on Politics and Army are major highlights.
May 13, 2019
Fun to read but overall meh
June 25, 2019
This was the most annoying memoir that I have ever read. I love Afridi as a player. He is loved by Pakistanis, and I am sad that such a bad book is his legacy.
Not Recommend.
Not Recommend.
September 21, 2021
I love reading autobios, especially around sports. This one is full of controversy. Afridi is a star of Pakistani cricket. He has brought in a full masala flick. It talks almost no cricket, but on field and off field controversies. Its quite poorly written though, no consistencies in the flow. All chapters are discreet from each other
I still liked it coz it gave me a insight on why Pakistani cricket is what it is. Why are they so unpredictable, why the legends of the games are just handful
He speaks about how selfish Javed Miandad had been, what legend Imran Khan was, how terrible coach Waqar Younis was. Off course its all one side perspective, but he hasn't spared any thought in spitting venom against his fellow cricketers.
The part which I missed what him skipping the complete part of Misbah as captain. I would have loved to read about him. Throughout the book he kept saying that he hates politics and is going to stay away from him, but its very clear how much he is fascinated by Imran Khan and we should soon see him joining politics, maybe for his own party.
I still liked it coz it gave me a insight on why Pakistani cricket is what it is. Why are they so unpredictable, why the legends of the games are just handful
He speaks about how selfish Javed Miandad had been, what legend Imran Khan was, how terrible coach Waqar Younis was. Off course its all one side perspective, but he hasn't spared any thought in spitting venom against his fellow cricketers.
The part which I missed what him skipping the complete part of Misbah as captain. I would have loved to read about him. Throughout the book he kept saying that he hates politics and is going to stay away from him, but its very clear how much he is fascinated by Imran Khan and we should soon see him joining politics, maybe for his own party.
February 9, 2025
Has to be the WORST book i have ever read.
All this guy talks about is Pathan traits and myths. Thats it. For every little thing he has done or someone has done, he will back it up with him being a Pathan. Giving himself stupid stereotypes and boosting about his pashtun heritage along with other players.
Then the book talks about Imran Khan. Imran this and Imran that. There was no one better then him.
Then the guy has blamed every little thing on the PCB, and doesn't even owe up for his own antics. He thinks every little wrong thing that he did was PCB's fault and not his.
He even listed himself in the World 11 aswell.
Hands down the worst book i have ever read
All this guy talks about is Pathan traits and myths. Thats it. For every little thing he has done or someone has done, he will back it up with him being a Pathan. Giving himself stupid stereotypes and boosting about his pashtun heritage along with other players.
Then the book talks about Imran Khan. Imran this and Imran that. There was no one better then him.
Then the guy has blamed every little thing on the PCB, and doesn't even owe up for his own antics. He thinks every little wrong thing that he did was PCB's fault and not his.
He even listed himself in the World 11 aswell.
Hands down the worst book i have ever read
August 26, 2019
A quick read about one of Pakistan cricket's most enigmatic stars, Shahid Khan Afridi. The book follows his career from his humble beginnings in Karachi to achieving superstardom at a very young age. It is divided into small chapters and offers Lala's viewpoint on a number of cricketing personalities he has worked with over the course of his 20-year long career such as Javed Miandad, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar among others. In short, the book is a fascinating read for Afridi and Pakistan cricket fans. 3 stars out of 5.
September 20, 2020
I got insights into how one of the Prime cricketers of Pakistan thinks. The writing itself is average but I was amazed at how 1/4th of the book is about India. His opinion about his daughters not being allowed to outdoor sports also comes across as shocking. It just tells you that there is a long way to go for Pakistan to become progressive. I liked the honesty about his inconsistency.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2019
Nice book. Not as controversial as it's being made
December 31, 2021
I had so many expectations form this book and it starts off with some promise.. but it really loses steam after the first few pages. Like a lot of reviewers before me have said. It’s repetitive and reads like the angry diary of a 10 year old child.
It has a very one dimensional look into Afridis life. Him vs every one else. Everyone is to be blamed for in this book.. his family, his friends, PCB, his seniors, his teammates, his juniors, media, politicians and of course India.
I don’t know why he is so obsessed with India, he makes it looks like the entire narrative of Pakistan cricket is centered around india. I have ready many Indian Cricketer biographies and none of them give so much attention to Pakistan. Yes it’s an important rivalry but there is so much more to Indian cricket than obsessing about Pakistan. Why is this not the case with Afridi?
Also after reading about his views on cheating “everyone tampers with the ball, I got caught”, sledging and womanizing (he called it partying).. just gives me an impression of a very immature and surely childish attitude.
Lastly he says I won’t “give permission” to my daughters to play cricket? Because of moral concerns? He just did such a disservice to womens sport around the world and especially to Pakistans women cricket team. Such misogynistic attitude is not expected from “game changers” and self proclaimed icons of the game.
But one this that flummoxed me more than anything else. He says he’s a bowler who can bat and was always misunderstood to be a batsman who could bowl .. but the cover and the poster show him as a batsman? What gives?
It has a very one dimensional look into Afridis life. Him vs every one else. Everyone is to be blamed for in this book.. his family, his friends, PCB, his seniors, his teammates, his juniors, media, politicians and of course India.
I don’t know why he is so obsessed with India, he makes it looks like the entire narrative of Pakistan cricket is centered around india. I have ready many Indian Cricketer biographies and none of them give so much attention to Pakistan. Yes it’s an important rivalry but there is so much more to Indian cricket than obsessing about Pakistan. Why is this not the case with Afridi?
Also after reading about his views on cheating “everyone tampers with the ball, I got caught”, sledging and womanizing (he called it partying).. just gives me an impression of a very immature and surely childish attitude.
Lastly he says I won’t “give permission” to my daughters to play cricket? Because of moral concerns? He just did such a disservice to womens sport around the world and especially to Pakistans women cricket team. Such misogynistic attitude is not expected from “game changers” and self proclaimed icons of the game.
But one this that flummoxed me more than anything else. He says he’s a bowler who can bat and was always misunderstood to be a batsman who could bowl .. but the cover and the poster show him as a batsman? What gives?
May 21, 2019
Starting from his early childhood, book revealed interesting and motivational snaps of his adventurous life. Coming from a mediocre family with 11 kids, it wasn't a walk in the park, to opt cricket as a career. His devotion, perseverance, a solid stance & passion towards the game made him a world class player!
He explicitly told about the difficulties & obstacles which he faced not only on the streets of Karachi but in his own house as well, in the early days of his career. The icing on cake was his short temperament. As we all know that its not an easy task to handle & cool down a Pathan's blood 😀
His entrance on world stage was nothing less than a BANG. A 37 balls ODI century in mid 90's, wasn't a joke. Keeping in mind the fact, that he was actually a bowling all rounder, which he mentioned vigorously many a times. Blasting the opposition with his batting (though once in a blue moon) was his extra quality.
He openly admitted and admired two W's. But his mentor, as he claimed, was the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing! He praised him highly.
The sad part, which he described in detail, was that he wasn't handled and groomed properly by the national team coaches. Every coach tried to coax him, to become a strategically defensive type player (except Bob Woolmer. RIP.), especially Javed Miandad. That was the biggest let down for him as he was a natural hard hitter.
Apart from that he recalled all the great matches of ODI world cups '99, '03, 07, '11, '15 & T20 world cups '07, '09 until his last '16. He had a see saw cricketing career where sometimes he single handedly demolished the oppositions with his belligerent batting & bowling but at other occasions, he became sole cause of disappointment, not only for the team but for the nation as well.
He dissected the dressing room politics, senior-junior tussle, power houses in PCB, famous but controversial and darkened periods of Pak cricket including the incidents of Darrell Hair, spot fixing & ball tampering in '10, modern commercialization of Cricket and race for gaining team captaincy.
In the last part, he thoroughly discussed geo-political situation of subcontinent and that's where my interest wavered. He criticized, openly, all famous big gun political parties of not only Pakistan but India as well. Though I agree with him on several points but it was still odd for me, to read his political views in his biography. He mentioned his SAF (Shahid Afridi Foundation) and some of its achievements in social work which I felt really proud to read. Overall it was really an interesting read & its really hard for the reader to toil away, once he pick this book. Recommended for every Cricket lover 😊
P.S I loved, actually surprised, to see this gorgeous poster at the end of book.
He explicitly told about the difficulties & obstacles which he faced not only on the streets of Karachi but in his own house as well, in the early days of his career. The icing on cake was his short temperament. As we all know that its not an easy task to handle & cool down a Pathan's blood 😀
His entrance on world stage was nothing less than a BANG. A 37 balls ODI century in mid 90's, wasn't a joke. Keeping in mind the fact, that he was actually a bowling all rounder, which he mentioned vigorously many a times. Blasting the opposition with his batting (though once in a blue moon) was his extra quality.
He openly admitted and admired two W's. But his mentor, as he claimed, was the great Wasim Akram, the sultan of swing! He praised him highly.
The sad part, which he described in detail, was that he wasn't handled and groomed properly by the national team coaches. Every coach tried to coax him, to become a strategically defensive type player (except Bob Woolmer. RIP.), especially Javed Miandad. That was the biggest let down for him as he was a natural hard hitter.
Apart from that he recalled all the great matches of ODI world cups '99, '03, 07, '11, '15 & T20 world cups '07, '09 until his last '16. He had a see saw cricketing career where sometimes he single handedly demolished the oppositions with his belligerent batting & bowling but at other occasions, he became sole cause of disappointment, not only for the team but for the nation as well.
He dissected the dressing room politics, senior-junior tussle, power houses in PCB, famous but controversial and darkened periods of Pak cricket including the incidents of Darrell Hair, spot fixing & ball tampering in '10, modern commercialization of Cricket and race for gaining team captaincy.
In the last part, he thoroughly discussed geo-political situation of subcontinent and that's where my interest wavered. He criticized, openly, all famous big gun political parties of not only Pakistan but India as well. Though I agree with him on several points but it was still odd for me, to read his political views in his biography. He mentioned his SAF (Shahid Afridi Foundation) and some of its achievements in social work which I felt really proud to read. Overall it was really an interesting read & its really hard for the reader to toil away, once he pick this book. Recommended for every Cricket lover 😊
P.S I loved, actually surprised, to see this gorgeous poster at the end of book.
May 12, 2019
Game Changer is Autobiography of a star quoted as "Kid Dynamite" from australian press and "Boom Boom" from Ravi Shastri.
A man who changed the dynamics of gentlemen's game in his second international match. He started an evolution in Mid 1990's which was later dubbed as modern cricket.
Before him, there was class and temperament and after him fast paced entertainment.
In his memoirs, Afridi take us on his passionate cricketing journey from primary school levels till his controversial retirement.
As the chapter unfolds, he gives us the real picture how the cricketing world operates in Pakistan. We all have superficial ideas about the issues and incidents being discussed but this books defined and dissected the issues on certain levels.
He reveals the inside stories of: Dressing Room Politics, Captain Crisis, Senior Vs Junior and Coach vs Captain Clashes, PCB failure as a governing board, poor domestic infrastructures, 2010 spot fixing scandal and last but not the least India vs Pakistan rivalvary on the cricketing grounds especially the famous losing streak in world cups.
Afridi throughly discussed about his inconsistency, temperament, batting vs bowling debate, retirement fiasco and his continuous comebacks when he was sacked and written off due to poor performances. He also discussed about the on going political satire in Pakistan and his social Work.
Game Changer is inspirational for youngsters who wanted to hit the cricketing circuit in Pakistan. Though the auto biography never dished about the last decade of Afridi as a blazing star, his issues with PZ management and his recent exist from Karachi Kings.
This book portrays the intellectual side of Sahibzada Shahid Khan Afridi, a man who is famous for his no brainer stints.
Recommended to avid admirers of Cricket specially Indians and Pakistanis.
and yeah keep highlighter with you while reading as there are lot of inspirational quotes for how to be successful in your life.
4/5
A man who changed the dynamics of gentlemen's game in his second international match. He started an evolution in Mid 1990's which was later dubbed as modern cricket.
Before him, there was class and temperament and after him fast paced entertainment.
In his memoirs, Afridi take us on his passionate cricketing journey from primary school levels till his controversial retirement.
As the chapter unfolds, he gives us the real picture how the cricketing world operates in Pakistan. We all have superficial ideas about the issues and incidents being discussed but this books defined and dissected the issues on certain levels.
He reveals the inside stories of: Dressing Room Politics, Captain Crisis, Senior Vs Junior and Coach vs Captain Clashes, PCB failure as a governing board, poor domestic infrastructures, 2010 spot fixing scandal and last but not the least India vs Pakistan rivalvary on the cricketing grounds especially the famous losing streak in world cups.
Afridi throughly discussed about his inconsistency, temperament, batting vs bowling debate, retirement fiasco and his continuous comebacks when he was sacked and written off due to poor performances. He also discussed about the on going political satire in Pakistan and his social Work.
Game Changer is inspirational for youngsters who wanted to hit the cricketing circuit in Pakistan. Though the auto biography never dished about the last decade of Afridi as a blazing star, his issues with PZ management and his recent exist from Karachi Kings.
This book portrays the intellectual side of Sahibzada Shahid Khan Afridi, a man who is famous for his no brainer stints.
Recommended to avid admirers of Cricket specially Indians and Pakistanis.
and yeah keep highlighter with you while reading as there are lot of inspirational quotes for how to be successful in your life.
4/5
May 17, 2019
Shahid Afridi’s controversial autobiography, told through Wajahat S. Khan, has been making headlines for various reasons.
The charismatic former all-rounder of the Pakistan cricket team, and a Pathan from Karachi, has laid bare his feelings about various cricketing stalwarts, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), India-Pakistan ties and Pakistani politics.
Those who are avid followers of cricket, would know that for far too long in Pakistani cricketing circles, various reports have existed about ill-will between players and PCB board members and other personalities; however the players chose to remain silent about it. Afridi's book has brought out these hidden 'facts' to the forefront.
There are some big names of Pakistan cricket who will probably feel highly uncomfortable after reading what Afridi has written about them.
From the infamous spot-fixing scandal, the ball-tampering incident, his waxing and waning career graph, politics, India, the Shahid Afridi Foundation and his anti-feminist views, Afridi says it all candidly – exactly the way he plays his cricket: it revolves around speaking what's on his mind without caring about anyone’s reactions and repercussions.
However, the book does get repetitive at times.
And there are quite a few careless little errors – for example, we still don’t know his correct age.
Proof-reading and editing leaves a lot to be desired.
Wish there was more about his famous innings, and less about politics.
It is worth a quick read – only if to read some of the things he had to say about various famous personalities of the cricketing world.
Candid, brash and rash – this book will remain in the news and headlines for quite some time to come.
You may choose not to read it – but you will not be able ignore the controversies that will arise as more and more people read this book.
The charismatic former all-rounder of the Pakistan cricket team, and a Pathan from Karachi, has laid bare his feelings about various cricketing stalwarts, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), India-Pakistan ties and Pakistani politics.
Those who are avid followers of cricket, would know that for far too long in Pakistani cricketing circles, various reports have existed about ill-will between players and PCB board members and other personalities; however the players chose to remain silent about it. Afridi's book has brought out these hidden 'facts' to the forefront.
There are some big names of Pakistan cricket who will probably feel highly uncomfortable after reading what Afridi has written about them.
From the infamous spot-fixing scandal, the ball-tampering incident, his waxing and waning career graph, politics, India, the Shahid Afridi Foundation and his anti-feminist views, Afridi says it all candidly – exactly the way he plays his cricket: it revolves around speaking what's on his mind without caring about anyone’s reactions and repercussions.
However, the book does get repetitive at times.
And there are quite a few careless little errors – for example, we still don’t know his correct age.
Proof-reading and editing leaves a lot to be desired.
Wish there was more about his famous innings, and less about politics.
It is worth a quick read – only if to read some of the things he had to say about various famous personalities of the cricketing world.
Candid, brash and rash – this book will remain in the news and headlines for quite some time to come.
You may choose not to read it – but you will not be able ignore the controversies that will arise as more and more people read this book.
May 31, 2019
This book was really good . More or less , I was happy because of the true encounter of him through this book , without any adulteration .
He puts all his views , starting from scoring his first century to his opinions on political situation ,his passion for cricket , relationship with other members and his coach , controversial matters , scandals everything , how he grew his team , how he moved forward in his cricket field to improve himself .
He is truly a great captain , because he admitted his mistakes whenever he had done it and tried to rectify it .
Though I don't agree with all of his political views , but I must admit everyone has their own views and opinions .
.
.
When he speaks about the India-pakistan game , it was so much relatable . He also speaks about his captainship issues , how he managed to bring up his team ( role in building the Pakistan cricket team ) , exposing others . All of this was in raw format , this made me think of him again and again and this increased my respect towards him . .
.
In the first chapters he speaks of his initial days , his interest in cricket, how it grew into obsession , street cricket then his debut century . All this made me nostalgic .
Honestly speaking I loved reading his autobiography irrespective of the fact that , in some places I didn't agree with him regarding various political issues . .
He puts all his views , starting from scoring his first century to his opinions on political situation ,his passion for cricket , relationship with other members and his coach , controversial matters , scandals everything , how he grew his team , how he moved forward in his cricket field to improve himself .
He is truly a great captain , because he admitted his mistakes whenever he had done it and tried to rectify it .
Though I don't agree with all of his political views , but I must admit everyone has their own views and opinions .
.
.
When he speaks about the India-pakistan game , it was so much relatable . He also speaks about his captainship issues , how he managed to bring up his team ( role in building the Pakistan cricket team ) , exposing others . All of this was in raw format , this made me think of him again and again and this increased my respect towards him . .
.
In the first chapters he speaks of his initial days , his interest in cricket, how it grew into obsession , street cricket then his debut century . All this made me nostalgic .
Honestly speaking I loved reading his autobiography irrespective of the fact that , in some places I didn't agree with him regarding various political issues . .
February 20, 2021
I got this book following a review done by Book Buddy on YouTube. Wasim Akram wrote a very heartfelt forward for this book and many of the games and scandal Afridi discussions are ones that I've witness when I use to follow the team and sport.
Afridi very patriotic about his heritage and passionate about the sport from a very young age. Despite his father not being supportive he manage to reach international level and played some record breaking cricket with both bat and ball.
Enjoy the discussions on the internal battles of the team and his thoughts on great players who never materialised to become great manager. Management is an art and science one has to develop.
3* because the book is not well drafted, very short chapters, high level overview and not going into and particular detail.
Very disappointing to see the term "suicide bomber" in p132 use to describe how he wanted to completely destroy the Indian cricketers when on tour. Careless and reckless term to use especially when Afridi see's sport as a unifier, the threat to Sri Lankan team when visiting Pakistan and the general devastation this barbaric act as caused in the Sub-continent and the Middle East.
Afridi very patriotic about his heritage and passionate about the sport from a very young age. Despite his father not being supportive he manage to reach international level and played some record breaking cricket with both bat and ball.
Enjoy the discussions on the internal battles of the team and his thoughts on great players who never materialised to become great manager. Management is an art and science one has to develop.
3* because the book is not well drafted, very short chapters, high level overview and not going into and particular detail.
Very disappointing to see the term "suicide bomber" in p132 use to describe how he wanted to completely destroy the Indian cricketers when on tour. Careless and reckless term to use especially when Afridi see's sport as a unifier, the threat to Sri Lankan team when visiting Pakistan and the general devastation this barbaric act as caused in the Sub-continent and the Middle East.
August 29, 2019
Shahid afridi ,One of the most famous yet controversial cricketer Pakistan has ever produced talks about his early cricket days, how different people around him affected his career in good or bad way. The major portion covers cricket which includes the inside stories from his cricketing days while the rest of the book comprises of politics. It also turns out that all that controversial stuff which was advertised to sell the copies were actually the dressing room events and stories, nothing spicy.
He talks about his personal life in barely two or three chapters and it is strange to not find such stuff in an autobiography.
He open heartedly admits the mistakes that he has done over the years and gives some hint about his future plans too.
I really like the choice of words/phrases used throughout the book. The structuring and timeline of the book could have been better though.Yet I think there wasnt much in the book to judge the complete writing style of the writer.
He talks about his personal life in barely two or three chapters and it is strange to not find such stuff in an autobiography.
He open heartedly admits the mistakes that he has done over the years and gives some hint about his future plans too.
I really like the choice of words/phrases used throughout the book. The structuring and timeline of the book could have been better though.Yet I think there wasnt much in the book to judge the complete writing style of the writer.
July 24, 2019
Book review 💥
As brave as a warrior.... Afridi is one of the strongest men I've known.
~Wasim Akram
In his memoirs, Afridi take us on his passionate cricketing journey from primary school levels till his controversial retirement.
Afridi throughly discussed about his inconsistency, temperament, batting vs bowling debate, retirement fiasco and his continuous comebacks when he was sacked and written off due to poor performance.
Throughout his book he admired Imran Khan and legendary Wasim Akram (to whom he regard as his MENTOR).
The book also shows his love for Karachi and Pashtuns. He lead a great discussion to his roots being a Pashtun and Karachite later.
"Karachiites are survivors".
Although I think, the book lacks in-depth details of some of the important matches.
As brave as a warrior.... Afridi is one of the strongest men I've known.
~Wasim Akram
In his memoirs, Afridi take us on his passionate cricketing journey from primary school levels till his controversial retirement.
Afridi throughly discussed about his inconsistency, temperament, batting vs bowling debate, retirement fiasco and his continuous comebacks when he was sacked and written off due to poor performance.
Throughout his book he admired Imran Khan and legendary Wasim Akram (to whom he regard as his MENTOR).
The book also shows his love for Karachi and Pashtuns. He lead a great discussion to his roots being a Pashtun and Karachite later.
"Karachiites are survivors".
Although I think, the book lacks in-depth details of some of the important matches.
August 17, 2020
As a cricket fan, I expected to see behind the curtain & get into the mind of an instrumental player of the game. Now, I'm from India, but it doesn't matter what happens on the pitch, off the pitch there's a mutual respect in the community of fans who love the game.
Instead, this book could have done a lot better to cram more cricket stories rather than the political stuff. I follow Wajahat Khan on twitter, so I'm familiar of his work & it's hard to look away from his own philosophy being stitched into the narrative.
Anyhow, not a complete waste of time, but certainly you're not missing out on much of you decided to skip it.
Instead, this book could have done a lot better to cram more cricket stories rather than the political stuff. I follow Wajahat Khan on twitter, so I'm familiar of his work & it's hard to look away from his own philosophy being stitched into the narrative.
Anyhow, not a complete waste of time, but certainly you're not missing out on much of you decided to skip it.
February 29, 2020
A rambling text. Reading through this book felt like listening to nonsensical talk for a marathon duration. boring stuff.
Read
January 18, 2022BOOK NAME : GAME CHANGER
WRITTEN BY : SHAHID AFRIDI
REVIEWED BY : ZAIN EJAZ
PUBLISHED DATE : 9 FEB, 2021
PULISHER : Harper Sport India, 2019
REVIEW DATE : 18 JAN
REVIEW:
In the last two decades of cricket, hardly has any cricketer compressed the game as much as Shahid Afridi. The burning style of batting, the splendid standard of fielding and the speed with which he used to finish an over, surely needed a book. ‘Game Changer’, a recently published book on ‘Boom Boom’ is a not-to-be-missed thing just like his game. With Journalist-turned-TV Host Wajahat S Khan, ‘Lala’, as he is usually known among friends, came up with his unique autobiography, which surely is a Game Changer.
The explosive book has everything in it, be it disagreements, relations with players and administration, things related and unconnected to his career and finally the roles he played in wins for his country.
The era, (1997-2003) was the one when Wasim-Waqar rivalry was at its end. Pakistan cricket was in turmoil and they even lost a World Cup final, giving way to match-fixing claims. Afridi was turned-out in such a hard period yet came out clean. His competition with certain Indian players and tussles inside his own dressing room has been specified in the book, yet the most interesting part which took me back in time was regarding ‘tape-ball’ cricket. The use of ‘Winn’, ‘Nitto tape’, Shadab Sports and the inevitable culture of night cricket, as rightly mentioned, must have been the beginning of T20 Cricket from Karachi.
Though he not ever played under or was ever coached by Imran Khan, he was all praise for the man. He called him a true leader and smooth named him in the ‘many’ of his best XI sides as a skipper. No wonder, if one day ‘Lala’ ends up joining his party of forming one for himself.
The ‘Game Changer’ surely is an interesting read. The book has already become the No.1 Cricket Book on Amazon and like a rapid innings of Afridi, there is no bowler to discharge him this time ‘on a short-pitched delivery’. There are some errors in the book, but they are amounting to ‘extras’ in a 50-over cricket match. Fair keep one thing in mind, if something has a little from the individual and cricketing life of Shahid Afridi,
ABOUT
NAME: ZAIN EJAZ
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: 03095956803zain@gmail.com
WRITTEN BY : SHAHID AFRIDI
REVIEWED BY : ZAIN EJAZ
PUBLISHED DATE : 9 FEB, 2021
PULISHER : Harper Sport India, 2019
REVIEW DATE : 18 JAN
REVIEW:
In the last two decades of cricket, hardly has any cricketer compressed the game as much as Shahid Afridi. The burning style of batting, the splendid standard of fielding and the speed with which he used to finish an over, surely needed a book. ‘Game Changer’, a recently published book on ‘Boom Boom’ is a not-to-be-missed thing just like his game. With Journalist-turned-TV Host Wajahat S Khan, ‘Lala’, as he is usually known among friends, came up with his unique autobiography, which surely is a Game Changer.
The explosive book has everything in it, be it disagreements, relations with players and administration, things related and unconnected to his career and finally the roles he played in wins for his country.
The era, (1997-2003) was the one when Wasim-Waqar rivalry was at its end. Pakistan cricket was in turmoil and they even lost a World Cup final, giving way to match-fixing claims. Afridi was turned-out in such a hard period yet came out clean. His competition with certain Indian players and tussles inside his own dressing room has been specified in the book, yet the most interesting part which took me back in time was regarding ‘tape-ball’ cricket. The use of ‘Winn’, ‘Nitto tape’, Shadab Sports and the inevitable culture of night cricket, as rightly mentioned, must have been the beginning of T20 Cricket from Karachi.
Though he not ever played under or was ever coached by Imran Khan, he was all praise for the man. He called him a true leader and smooth named him in the ‘many’ of his best XI sides as a skipper. No wonder, if one day ‘Lala’ ends up joining his party of forming one for himself.
The ‘Game Changer’ surely is an interesting read. The book has already become the No.1 Cricket Book on Amazon and like a rapid innings of Afridi, there is no bowler to discharge him this time ‘on a short-pitched delivery’. There are some errors in the book, but they are amounting to ‘extras’ in a 50-over cricket match. Fair keep one thing in mind, if something has a little from the individual and cricketing life of Shahid Afridi,
ABOUT
NAME: ZAIN EJAZ
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: 03095956803zain@gmail.com
Read
January 18, 2022BOOK NAME: GAME CHANGER
REVIEWED BY: ZAIN EJAZ
PUBLISHED DATE: 9 FEB, 2021
PULISHER: NEAL SHUSTERMAN
REVIEW DATE: 18 JAN, 2022
REVIEW
The Movie Game Changers was actually an eye break documentary of a thousand, possibly tens of thousands, of truths most of us never knew about things we do and care about everyday, the foods we eat. The movie pitched us soon enough to the ‘thoughts’ of ‘what we eat’ next its first ten to fifteen minutes, a real vigorously orchestrated series of events ran from an injury. It dug its way bottomless into the lifestyles of the Roman Gladiators looking for at their bone structures which presented ‘beans’ and not ‘beef’ based foods they ate while fighting as the national heroes of the time. The stories interlaced around the weightiest weight lifter to the oldest woman athlete to the heaps of the World’s famous sports actors filled the pages after pages with statements supported by researches by scientists in medical and skills. It was simply astounding to learn that meat producing animals behaved as middle men in the business of feeding ourselves, and as good businessmen we would be only helping ourselves if we moved directly to the ‘Original suppliers’ of proteins we so greatly care for in our diets.
The thinking patterns were brilliantly illustrated even utilizing facts surrounding us in our body hormones such as cortisol, estrogens, and testosterones, which we understand around all of our life time with Doctors, and like.
“Move the needle” the right approach is a huge trend, they say, for the Sports athletes! But is similar for all of us, too, for those who like to live just a little longer, a little too longer, of course.
The Scene was exactly jam-packed with a smart looking meeting that sat all the way through the post movie show in Regal Grand Parkway in Houston Suburbia.
I am proud to be part of this happening life as the daughter and her family’s contribution to the movie makers’ efforts
ABOUT
NAME: ZAIN EJAZ
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: 03095956803zain@gmail.com
REVIEWED BY: ZAIN EJAZ
PUBLISHED DATE: 9 FEB, 2021
PULISHER: NEAL SHUSTERMAN
REVIEW DATE: 18 JAN, 2022
REVIEW
The Movie Game Changers was actually an eye break documentary of a thousand, possibly tens of thousands, of truths most of us never knew about things we do and care about everyday, the foods we eat. The movie pitched us soon enough to the ‘thoughts’ of ‘what we eat’ next its first ten to fifteen minutes, a real vigorously orchestrated series of events ran from an injury. It dug its way bottomless into the lifestyles of the Roman Gladiators looking for at their bone structures which presented ‘beans’ and not ‘beef’ based foods they ate while fighting as the national heroes of the time. The stories interlaced around the weightiest weight lifter to the oldest woman athlete to the heaps of the World’s famous sports actors filled the pages after pages with statements supported by researches by scientists in medical and skills. It was simply astounding to learn that meat producing animals behaved as middle men in the business of feeding ourselves, and as good businessmen we would be only helping ourselves if we moved directly to the ‘Original suppliers’ of proteins we so greatly care for in our diets.
The thinking patterns were brilliantly illustrated even utilizing facts surrounding us in our body hormones such as cortisol, estrogens, and testosterones, which we understand around all of our life time with Doctors, and like.
“Move the needle” the right approach is a huge trend, they say, for the Sports athletes! But is similar for all of us, too, for those who like to live just a little longer, a little too longer, of course.
The Scene was exactly jam-packed with a smart looking meeting that sat all the way through the post movie show in Regal Grand Parkway in Houston Suburbia.
I am proud to be part of this happening life as the daughter and her family’s contribution to the movie makers’ efforts
ABOUT
NAME: ZAIN EJAZ
EDUCATION: CURRENTLY STUDING UET, TEXILA
E-MAIL: 03095956803zain@gmail.com
September 4, 2025
Read it right after I finished Wasim Akram's Sultan!
I really don't know if it's a better written book or not, but it certainly did feel more honest.
Unlike Wasim Akram, Afridi doesn't seem to care whether or not you like him. Which certainly leads to better opening up and the reader can get to know more about the person the book is being written on.
Like Wasim in his book, Afridi has been very critical about Pakistan Cricket Board in particular and also like Pakistan in general, which tells us about the state of the nation (an interesting insight for an Indian reader).
The book is written the way Afridi played his cricket, (at least his batting)
wearing the heart on the sleeves, little substance to offer, it does give considerable sneak peak in the brain of the man but fails to scratch the surface.
After reading the book, it does feel like you know the person a little bit but also disappointingly enough there's very little depth to explore.
Now the lack of depth is because of the writing or the person has no depth to start with, is a question the reader ponders after finishing.
Now that I've read close to a dozen Cricketer's biographies...
The ones I've enjoyed the most are -
Sunny Days by Sunil Gavaskar
Ath the Close of Play by Ricky Ponting
Imperfect by Sanjay Manjrekar.
I really don't know if it's a better written book or not, but it certainly did feel more honest.
Unlike Wasim Akram, Afridi doesn't seem to care whether or not you like him. Which certainly leads to better opening up and the reader can get to know more about the person the book is being written on.
Like Wasim in his book, Afridi has been very critical about Pakistan Cricket Board in particular and also like Pakistan in general, which tells us about the state of the nation (an interesting insight for an Indian reader).
The book is written the way Afridi played his cricket, (at least his batting)
wearing the heart on the sleeves, little substance to offer, it does give considerable sneak peak in the brain of the man but fails to scratch the surface.
After reading the book, it does feel like you know the person a little bit but also disappointingly enough there's very little depth to explore.
Now the lack of depth is because of the writing or the person has no depth to start with, is a question the reader ponders after finishing.
Now that I've read close to a dozen Cricketer's biographies...
The ones I've enjoyed the most are -
Sunny Days by Sunil Gavaskar
Ath the Close of Play by Ricky Ponting
Imperfect by Sanjay Manjrekar.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews