People say “age is just a number” when they want to feel young again. But in truth, age tells a story — of perseverance, growth, and dreams pursued against time itself.
In Asif Afridi’s case, age represents the power to dream and the perseverance to achieve. It reflects the richness of skill and the mental fortitude of a 38-year-old Test debutant. Above all, it represents love — and how it drives him.
Love has driven Asif all his life. His love for cricket took him from team to team, city to city, in pursuit of a permanent place in either. It kept him going through the toil and hardship of Pakistan’s domestic circuit for no less than 16 years.
Now, as he finally made his Test debut for Pakistan in the second match against South Africa, love again inspired him.
Asif is father to four boys and a little girl — and unapologetically, he loves the girl the most. She is battling cerebral palsy in a hospital while Asif plays the Test, having already taken six wickets on debut.
But he wants to win it for his girl.
“I am worried for her but at the same time happy about my performance here,” he said on Wednesday.
“My wife is extending support and giving me hope during this time. I’m praying we win this match so that I can dedicate it to my daughter. I love her more than my boys.”
Just as Asif can bowl on a nagging line and length for hours — a skill he showcased in Rawalpindi — his love for his daughter is equally steadfast, something well known among his colleagues in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata cricket fraternity.
“What’s most special about him? It’s how he loves and takes care of his daughter,” Abdul Rehman, a renowned coach from Peshawar, told Dawn.com.
Describing Asif further, Rehman called him a “calm and cool” person — a temperament that has shaped his game.
“He’s humble, hardworking, and a master of his craft,” Rehman said. “His understanding of the game, the conditions, and the batter he’s bowling to has always been immaculate.”
That understanding was on full display during South Africa’s first innings in Rawalpindi, as Asif kept landing the ball right on target. He hardly missed the stumps and began reaping rewards late on the second day — trapping Tony de Zorzi lbw before producing a peach of a delivery to dismiss Dewald Brevis.
On the third day, he added four more wickets, even as South Africa fought back through Senuran Muthusamy and Kagiso Rabada, inching closer to a series-levelling win.
“All I wished coming into the Test match was to live up to my reputation in domestic cricket — someone who bowls a nagging line and length, whether I take wickets or not,” Asif told reporters.
“I wanted people to recognise me as a quality bowler. Thank God I did more than I wished for.”
Asif’s journey to this point hasn’t been straightforward. His domestic career suffered a major setback in 2023 when he was banned for a year for an anti-corruption offence — later determined to be an honest mistake. Yet he didn’t let it derail his focus, taking 27 wickets in the 2024 season.
Earlier this year, he led Fata to promotion to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy — Pakistan’s premier first-class competition — claiming 33 wickets in just five matches in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a Grade II event.
For Asif, those performances came from a simple desire — to bow out of the game with his head held high.
“…if we hadn’t returned to first-class cricket that year, it would have been very difficult later,” he said.
“So I worked hard and bowled long spells. I always hoped, God willing, that whenever I play, wherever I play, I’ll perform in such a way that people say my career ended on a strong note.”
Little did Asif know that before hanging up his boots, he would wear the Pakistan Test cap. And when that moment finally arrived, it brought sheer happiness.
“When the captain informed me on the eve of the match that I’d be making my debut, believe me, I couldn’t sleep all night,” he said. “I was very happy — and so was my family.”
When Pakistan’s mainstays, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, walk to the crease this morning with a slender lead of 23, they will also be playing for Asif and his daughter.
And if Pakistan go on to win, it won’t just be a victory for the team — it will be a triumph of love, patience, and a father’s promise to his little girl.