Hafeez credits Afridi for victory over Sri Lanka – Cricket News Update
Following a superb all-round match-winning performance by Shahid Afridi, Pakistan T20 captain http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 at the Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Sooriyawewa, Hambantota on June 3.
“I don't think the toss had decided the game. The innings Shahid Afridi played was the difference,” Hafeez said, fresh off his first victory as the newly-appointed T20 skipper. “He took us to a fighting target.”
Long considered a T20 superstar, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-Afridi-c2482 put forth a stellar performance which won him his 7th Player of the Match award (a T20 record), and enabled his side to end the T20 series on a 1-1 draw.
The game started out slow, with the tourists wining and opting to bat first. Openers Hafeez (24) and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/KMDN-Kulasekara-c1802, reduced the Men In Green to a precarious 41 for 4 by the 11th over.
However, coming in at number 6, Afridi contributed a substantial half-century (an unbeaten 52 off 33), and established a 68-run partnership with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shoaib-Malik-c90088 (27), bringing his side up to 122 by the end of 20 overs.
The 123 target looked more than achievable for the host team, who had racked up a total of 132 in the first T20, but Afridi, aided by the rest of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s bowling attack, succeeded in dismissing the entire Lankan batting line-up on 99.
Afridi took a vital 2 for 17, while both http://www.senore.com/Cricket/LD-Chandimal-c1831.
“I was always confident of defending 123, especially with our bowling attack,” Hafeez said. “It was a blessing for me having so many wicket-taking bowlers like Shahid Afridi and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Ajmal-c87859. Sohail Tanvir was in good form too coming into this game. I always knew that as long as we put in a good fielding effort, we could certainly defend this score.”
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