Whirlwind Afridi dashes India’s flickering hopes

Pinch-hitter Shahid Afridi steals everyone else’s thunder.

KARACHI:

Pakistan on Tuesday sealed a berth in the Asia Cup final after pulling off their highest run-chase in One-Day Internationals against Bangladesh in Mirpur.

In pursuit of a massive target of 326, Misbah’s men mustered quite a few dazzling performances. Stylish opener Ahmed Shahzad scored 103 for his 5th ODI century and Mohammad Hafeez hit his second successive half-century making 52. Middle-order batsman Fawad Alam, who staged a comeback to international cricket after a long hiatus, also played a fighting knock of 74.

But it was pinch-hitter Shahid Afridi who stole everyone else’s thunder. In the bargain, he also broke the hearts of Bangladesh fans and drowned the hopes of India, who were counting on a Pakistan defeat to keep their hopes alive. ‘Lala’ would have none of it though, rampaging his way through an 18-ball fifty and helping his side snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Afridi looked in better touch than he was when he played a gem of a cameo that sunk India the other day. In fact, Afridi stung the Indians again as Tuesday’s win ruined the flickering hopes of Virat Kohli’s men to jailbreak their way into the final.

Pakistan looked stranded at 225-5, needing another 102 from 52 balls, when the whirlwind Afridi joined Alam.

He showed no signs of pressure and began smashing sixes from almost the first ball he faced. His seven sixes and two boundaries literally made the avid Bangladesh fans cry. In doing so, Afridi equalled his own record of an 18-ball half century – the second fastest fifty in ODIs. He was run out after suffering from back spasms but his 59 from 25 balls had already done the damage.

Alam then defied his critics by stroking two sixes in one Abdur Razzaq over, while Umar Akmal hit the winning runs with a ball to spare.

Pakistan were dominated by Bangladesh for the best part of the match. The hosts stunned them by amassing 326 runs. There were a number of errors in fielding but yet another comeback from Misbah’s men remind one of the past when Pakistan used to snatch victories from nowhere – an instinct that was missing in the past few years.

It would be premature to credit newly-appointed head coach Moin Khan for the change in attitude but one thing is sure, the vintage Pakistan has returned in no uncertain terms.


Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2014.