Shahid Afridi Remains One of the World's Most Dangerous and Entertaining Players

Often exasperating, sometimes sublime but always very watchable, Shahid Afridi showed why he is one of the most entertaining players in world cricket in Pakistan's ODI win over New Zealand on Monday.

Pakistan's attempt to chase down a target of 247 looked in serious peril when the mercurial all-rounder walked to the crease with the score at 124 for six.

With the help of novice left-hander Haris Sohail, Afridi brought Pakistan within touching distance of the win before Sohail and Wahab Riaz finally got them over the line.

A knock of 61 from 51 balls sounds like a typically frantic Afridi effort. In reality, it was more restrained than the usual shot-a-ball antics we've come to expect from the 34-year-old.

Amazingly, this knock against the Black Caps was the first time he had faced more than 25 balls in an ODI innings for almost 17 months (h/t to ESPNCricinfo.com)!

In that match against the West Indies, Afridi scored a man-of-the-match winning 76 as Pakistan coasted home by 126 runs.

The margin of victory may not have been as emphatic, but Afridi's efforts against the Kiwis were just as important. Seven fours, a six and a strike rate of 119.60 helped save his side from what looked like certain defeat.

So does this latest effort mark a new, mature, responsible Shahid Afridi? The recent figures don't suggest that Boom Boom will be awakening his inner Chris Tavare in the latter stages of his career.

Afridi's batting average in ODIs in 2014 is 23.33, almost identical to his overall career average of 23.34.

Since the start of the year, the former Pakistan captain has been consistently inconsistent. In 12 innings since February, he has been dismissed in single figures on six occasions. But when he has got in, he's produced some remarkable performances.

The best of the recent Afridi vintage was a brutal effort against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. The hosts looked on target to pull off a shock win after posting an impressive total of 326 from their 50 overs.

A 25-ball 59, which included seven sixes and two fours, was enough to get the visitors over the line.

When Pakistan's recently appointed batting coach Grant Flower took the job, he told Pakistan Today that he was “looking forward to convincing talented batsmen like Umar Akmal and Afridi to leave their habit of playing in a hurry and ask them to use their batting skills more significantly for the team.”

It's early days yet, but the initial results look promising. Of course batting so far down the order doesn't lend itself to building a considered knock. Likewise, it was never going to be easy to get a player with 18 years of ODI experience and 385 caps to his name to transform his game.

“I have seen [Afridi and Akmal] throw away good starts because of their hurried approach. I know they can be so much more dangerous if they curb their habit and remain at the crease,” Flower added.

If the Zimbabwean can somehow coax Afridi to show just a little more restraint early on in his innings, the results could be spectacular.

Afridi's man-of-the-match effort in the 2009 World T20 final showed he has the temperament for the big occasion. With a little nudge in the right direction, he could yet prove a talisman for an unlikely Pakistani assault on the World Cup.

Whatever approach he decides to take, one thing we can be sure of is that Afridi will be well worth watching "down under" this winter.