Why Boom Boom Afridi holds the key to Pakistani fortunes against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750
Make no mistake about it. It does not get any bigger than this. It’s India vs. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at the biggest stage of them all at Mohali, in the semifinal of the ICC World Cup 2011.
India and Pakistan have both transformed themselves into a ruthlessly efficient performing unit, and it is a matter of small pity that the match between two of the greatest entertainers of the game, is the penultimate game of the tournament and not the final.
Nevertheless, to many across the globe, this is no less than the final. The rivalry, the political situation, the wars fought, and the endless ongoing political tensions between the two countries, makes it all the more interesting.
Tonight’s game is nothing short of war – minus the shooting.
Both teams have their respective match winners, but so far in this tournament two men have stood out - India’s prolific middle-order batsman, Yuvraj Singh and Pakistan’s Captain Commendable, Shahid Khan Afridi.
Some would easily classify these players as 'Hollywood Cricketers'. With both men possessing oodles of charm powerful enough to sway the opposing team in a split second, they are also accused of going missing when their teams need them the most.
Although, it took them time to curb some of their natural born instincts, the duo has evolved in to mature sportsmen and have taken their games to new heights this World Cup.
Yuvraj has taken 11 wickets in this tournament and scored 341 runs, with four 50’s and garnered a magnificent 113 runs. Although, his performances have often been overlooked, Yuvraj played a pivotal role in 4 of the 5 wins that his team notched up. His finest hour was in the match against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, when he along with Suresh Raina, propelled India past danger with ease.
On the other hand is the man who is every bowler’s worst nightmare, Boom Boom Afridi. The moniker stems from his ability to hit the ball, usually way past the boundary, often outside the stadium, with a ferocity and regularity that is seldom witnessed in the game before.
Interestingly, this World Cup has not been about the big scores, but Afridi’s ability to make a thunderous impact on the game, making his title evermore befitting.
He was a show stopper in his debut innings in Nairobi against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 and some 15 years later, he still remains the same.
In the 7 matches that Afridi has captained, he has accounted for 21 scalps at a jaw dropping average of 10.83. Before going into the tournament, he had only taken a haul of 4 wickets or more five times previously in his career, and so far, in the 7 matches that have been played, he has done it four times already.
The Captain’s unmatched ability to mix his ‘leggies’ with ‘googlies’ has almost rendered his bowling practically impossible to play on sluggish Subcontinent pitches.
In tandem with Umer Gul, Afridi has masked the fragility of a staggeringly inconsistent batting lineup and accelerated their way to the semifinal - A run that included wins over three former World Champions, Australia, Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760.
Afridi has hit the most number of sixes by any batsman in the history of the game. A glaring testament to this fact is that he accounted for the fastest and second fastest century in ODI’s and another one for making it to the list of seven fastest centuries in the shorter format of the game.
Afridi’s batting may not be the same as before but one undoubtedly has faith in his ability to turn any match on its head, and if he decides to do that today, his legend will live on forever.
Tags: