Friday, August 10, 2007

Swashbuckling Shahid

It is good for world cricket, unless one is not an opponent, that Shahid Afridi is well and truly back on song, scoring the second fastest ODI century, bettered only by himself. However, Brian Lara too has an ODI century scored off 45 balls, as Afridi did against India at Kanpur. Perhaps Afridi was not conscious of Lara's feat; had he been aware of that, he would certainly have gone in for claiming the even the second spot all by himself. One wonders what he had been doing down the order all these days, considering the fact that he has 200 international sixers to his credit. It seems that the calming influence of Inzamam-ul-Haq and the master tactician that Bob Woolmer happens to be, have had a positive effect on Afridi's batting, which is now no more a mere compilation of instinctive butchering of whatever comes his way in whatever way. It is a real pity that he happened to have only three ODI tons to his credit prior to Kanpur. Moreover, he has also got consistent with his bowling. Fieldingwise, he is one Pakistan's bests. And now, when the Shoaib Maliks and the Abdul Razzaqs are on fire, can Shahid Afridi be far behind?

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