Shahid Afridi delivers all-round masterclass

Afridi XI beat Celebrity XI by nine wickets in promotional event.

KARACHI:

In a Twenty20 match, that saw star cricketer Shahid Afridi-led team vie with Pakistan’s showbiz celebrities, Afridi XI produced an all-round dominant display to win the promotional Twenty20 match against Celebrity XI by nine wickets at the Moin Khan Academy in Karachi.

At the start of the P&G sponsored match, Afridi said he was satisfied with his ‘talented and fit’ team, and stated that they were happy to play the ‘larger-than-life’ game and provide the crowd with an enjoyable evening.

Led by captain Adnan Siddiqui, Celebrity XI won the toss and chose to bat.

“The plan is to set a competitive total and try to pressurise the opposition,” said Siddiqui.

However, since the start of the match, Shahid Afridi looked to be in total control as Afridi XI took the field. Consequently, Celebrity XI were unable to gain a foothold in the game and wickets kept falling regularly, so that at one point their score was 55 for six in 11 overs.

Then a combination of dropped catches and missed run-out chances gave Celebrity XI a glimmer of hope, as Siddiqui (22) and Amjad Sabri (20) played a few well-placed shots to make a vital stand for the seventh wicket and help the team achieve a decent total of 115 runs. Iqbal Afridi was the outstanding bowler for Afridi XI, taking three wickets in four overs.

In reply, Afridi XI got off to a flying start, making 24 runs in just two overs to start their innings. However, the significant match-changing moment came in the second over when Shahid’s catch got dropped on two. That was the turning point, as Shahid took full advantage of the opportunity and played a true captain’s innings, hitting seven boundaries and six towering sixes in his unbeaten 69 to lead his team home. Afridi XI comfortably achieved the target in just 8 overs.

“We are very happy with the result,” said Afridi XI’s left-arm spinner Osama Shah after the match. “It was an all-round performance on our part and we are delighted with the outcome.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2013.

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