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Pakistan hits form on Afridi heroics
Source: Agencies |
February 28, 2011, Monday
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JUST a week ago, few would have slated Pakistan among the World Cup favorites - but that was a week ago.
Since then, it has obliterated Kenya by 205 runs and then on Saturday, really showed off its title credentials by beating co-host Sri Lanka by 11 runs in Colombo.
That margin of victory looks slim but Pakistan was in control for most of the Sri Lankan innings and only a couple of late slogs and generously wayward bowling took the co-host so relatively close.
In its captain Shahid Afridi, enjoying a new lease of life in this tournament at the age of 30, Pakistan boasts one of the most dangerously in-form men of the World Cup.
He has yet to take off with the bat because generally the Pakistan upper order has functioned but his wide, bewildering array of deliveries is making leg spinner Afridi almost unplayable as a bowler on the evidence so far.
Against Kenya he took a World Cup career-best five wickets and followed up with four more on Saturday against Kumar Sangakkara's far more accomplished batsmen. That included his 300th victim in one-day cricket, fittingly Sangakkara on 49.
How he is relishing this opportunity in the form of the game that surely suits his mercurial talents and nature best.
"It's a great feeling performing like this," Afridi said after winning the man-of-the-match award against Sri Lanka on Saturday, in which he became only the 11th player past that 300-wicket milestone in 50-over cricket.
"Three hundred wickets was my goal as an allrounder. It's a big achievement in one-day cricket."
Some fans, as ever demanding perfection, have missed his explosive 'boom-boom' batting performances in these matches.
"I am missing that too," he said. "But my first priority is bowling - I want to focus on my bowling first and then batting. I think the way I am going and batting for just three overs or four overs, I try to play some big shots. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The 1992 World Cup champion will next meet Canada in Colombo on Thursday.
Asked whether his side has now become one of the favorites to win this World Cup, Afridi has no doubt: "Definitely."
Since then, it has obliterated Kenya by 205 runs and then on Saturday, really showed off its title credentials by beating co-host Sri Lanka by 11 runs in Colombo.
That margin of victory looks slim but Pakistan was in control for most of the Sri Lankan innings and only a couple of late slogs and generously wayward bowling took the co-host so relatively close.
In its captain Shahid Afridi, enjoying a new lease of life in this tournament at the age of 30, Pakistan boasts one of the most dangerously in-form men of the World Cup.
He has yet to take off with the bat because generally the Pakistan upper order has functioned but his wide, bewildering array of deliveries is making leg spinner Afridi almost unplayable as a bowler on the evidence so far.
Against Kenya he took a World Cup career-best five wickets and followed up with four more on Saturday against Kumar Sangakkara's far more accomplished batsmen. That included his 300th victim in one-day cricket, fittingly Sangakkara on 49.
How he is relishing this opportunity in the form of the game that surely suits his mercurial talents and nature best.
"It's a great feeling performing like this," Afridi said after winning the man-of-the-match award against Sri Lanka on Saturday, in which he became only the 11th player past that 300-wicket milestone in 50-over cricket.
"Three hundred wickets was my goal as an allrounder. It's a big achievement in one-day cricket."
Some fans, as ever demanding perfection, have missed his explosive 'boom-boom' batting performances in these matches.
"I am missing that too," he said. "But my first priority is bowling - I want to focus on my bowling first and then batting. I think the way I am going and batting for just three overs or four overs, I try to play some big shots. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't."
The 1992 World Cup champion will next meet Canada in Colombo on Thursday.
Asked whether his side has now become one of the favorites to win this World Cup, Afridi has no doubt: "Definitely."
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