Hyderabad, April 23: When cricketers got sold like stocks at player auctions earlier, Hyderabad’s success in buying Shahid Afridi for $675,000 was seen as one of the better bargains. The phenomenal strike-rate that Afridi can boast of, added to his bombastic style and options in leg-spin, were certainly first-rate additions to a typical T20 package.

Now that he’s available to play the entire tournament for Deccan Chargers, the question his team owners face happens to be more complex than any raised before bidding: How to get the best out of the game’s craziest batsman, one who can — on a good day — provide entertainment like nobody else? The team management can look at Afridi’s quote for answers. “My cricket is simple. If you can see the ball, hit it. This is the way I’ve played and this is how it will be,” he says.

Right, so Afridi’s won’t change. That is good news for the Chargers, especially if they have to replay his world record 37-ball hundred tape. But his adamant approach could mean trouble as well. The batsman has a history of ignoring situations which required an altered style to suit the team’s demand. Afridi says “changing styles won’t help.” His team should know better than to argue.

His bombastic approach in his 10-year-old career has been a case of hits and misses. Tell that to Afridi and he diverts the topic to Twenty20. “Twenty20 suits my style. The concentration span is shorter, there’s lesser time for a bowler to think and rework his strategy. Therefore, this version is tilted clearly in favour of batsmen,” he says. Deccan Chargers have lost both their matches so far, but that can change on Thursday when Herschelle Gibbs, the explosive South African, joins them.

Meanwhile Pakistani batsman Younis Khan is scheduled to arrive Thursday morning, which means he could be a part of the Rajasthan Royals.