Afridi targets title after fiery knock
ICONIC CAPTAIN’S SHOW STOPS WARRIORS’ WINNING RUN DESPITE POWELL’S UNBEATEN 80
Shahid Afridi fired Pakhtoons into the final of the second edition of the T10 past the Northern Warriors in the qualifier at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday.
With an unbeaten 59 off 17 balls (three boundaries and seven sixes), Afridi displayed again why he is the evergreen hero of the Sharjah Stadium fans and gave his team a fighting total of 135 for five in 10 overs. Warriors fell short of the target by 13 runs despite a belligerent unbeaten 80 from Rovman Powell, off 35 balls, with nine sixes and four boundaries.
Asked about the secret behind his age-defying performances. Afridi said: “There is no secret. I am doing my training as I am still playing cricket and have to be fitter. My team’s expectation from me is high and as a captain, I have to set an example while playing against a very good team. We did not start well according to the plan but as a captain, I performed at the right time as people were also waiting for my innings as well. Now, we are very confident of winning the next game [final] too.”
Sent into bat, Pakhtoon openers Andre Fletcher and Cameron Delport could put on only nine runs between them before Andre Russell scalped Delport for five and Hardus Viljoen got the prized wicket of Fletcher for 14.
Ingram (11) began by hitting Viljoen for a six and a four but fell to the last ball of that over. Pakhtoons slipped into further trouble when Shafiq fell for 22.
Afridi walked into the crease to a thunderous applause from the crowd. He hit Bopara for a six to backward square leg and Russell for another six over long off. Liam Dawson too pulled Russell for a six.
The eighth over saw Afridi in full flow — firing Wahab for four sixes in a row. Dawson fell to Viljoen for 15 in the ninth over after he added 57 runs in 3.2 overs with Afridi.
The next three balls from Viljoen, Afridi hit for three successive fours to reach his half century in 14 balls. Afridi continued to punish Riaz and hit him over deep mid-wicket for ■
a six and remained unbeaten with an inspiring knock.
Chasing the score, Northern Warriors’ dangerous opening pair of Lendl Simmons and Nicholas Pooran could put only 15 runs. Mohammad Irfan removed in-form Pooran for five. Off the next ball, Russell was run out through a direct hit from Sohail Khan for a duck.
Rovman Powell and Simmons tried to accelerate the run-rate but the fall of Simmons suddenly changed the fortunes.
With 39 runs needed off the last 12 balls, Powell hit Sohail Khan for two sixes to square leg but still needed 24 runs off the last over.
Ashraf, who bowled the last over, had Dwayne Smith bowled for three — brining in Darren Sammy and gave away only 10 runs.