Ever since his arrival in India, Shahid Afridi had been hounded for wrong reasons. His casual comment that he is loved more in India made him a target of attack back home. He skipped nets on Tuesday amid reports that he was ‘not well’ and whispers that things were not all that well!
On Wednesday, ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi promoted himself in the order and announced his ‘wellness’ with a 19-ball 49 (4x4, 4x6) before taking two for 27 in four overs. This all-round blast was too much for Bangladesh, who had come to the tournament with high hopes following good shows of late.
The Pakistan skipper didn’t just show ominous form. It was enough to make opponents nervous, particularly the under-pressure Indians, who are up next, on Saturday.
“I was hungry and keen to perform well for my country in this event. In the last few months, I wasn’t in good form,” Afridi said. “It’s a big event for me as captain and senior player. I had to lead by example. I spoke to the coach about it and he said okay. My performance always plays a key role.”
With scores of 0, 0, 9, 38, 2, 5, 9 in provincial matches, Afridi came in at No 4 in the 14th over. His team was already in a strong position and the skipper show made it stronger. He found gaps on either side and executed strokes with stunning timing. Before being caught at the fence in the last over, he had made a big statement of intent.
When Bangladesh came out to bat, Afridi swung into action with his fastish leg-spinners. He removed the dangerous Shabbir Rahman in his first over and soon had the in-form Tamim Iqbal holing out in the deep.
Apart from Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez came good with the bat and played breezy knocks that should make it a happy dressing room before the big match. By the time the Pakistan innings ended, Bangladeshi shoulders had drooped. “We lost the match in the first six overs, both in bowling and batting,” said Bangla skipper Mashrafe Mortaza.
The most significant comment came from Hafeez, who said, “By this performance, Afridi has won back the fans’ hearts in Pakistan.”
Brief scores: Pakistan 201/5 in 20 ovs (Hafeez 64, Shehzad 52, Afridi 49) bt Bangladesh 149/6 in 20 ovs (Shakib 50 no).