BLADERUNNER
It was a test match they said, you had all the time you needed to settle in they said. And that was all that ’they’ said, his captain told him something else, ’’I believe we can pull this one off Shahid, but we’re gonna need some quick runs for a good start’’.
According to Ravi Shastri, Inzy had given Afridi the ’Licence to thrill’.
Those words were all he needed, right from the beginning he always believed - ’bowlers, they have to throw the ball at you, right?, and they have to do that within the rules - after that, it was just you and your decision’. Should I make it go through the gap?, or should I aim for a straight on boundary?, or better still, why not send it sailing over the field?, that way the field placement would lose it’s purpose - and the bladerunner would have a lot less to think about.
On the afternoon of 27 March 2005, Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Shahid Afridi once again established that yes, there was good cricket, there were careers to be made, there were records to be achieved, and then there was style, inimitable style that left the commentators searching for phrases that could supercede ’a great shot’, ’a classy drive’, ’a beautiful stroke’, there were none of those, no, articulation aside, ’whacked away’ and ’pummeled to the boundary’ were more closer to the truth.
Through the innings, the ball tried it’s best to make itself heard, ’’Sir, Mr.Afridi sir, the outfield is pretty quick y’know, and you really don’t need to hit that hard, besides, I’ve already seen the Barton Centre building across the road from the stadium twice, believe me sir, don’t wanna go that high again, it’s a dizzy ride.’’
Absolutely focussed, the bladerunner let lose a series of drives, cuts and swings that reminded everyone of Wasim Akram’s remarks for Afridi, ’’No use telling him to change his style, it’s the only way he knows’’, and at the time, it was the only way to tell a very strong Indian bowling that they better change tactics...and fast.
The Indian skipper was shuffling around, his fielders were running helter-skelter...but these were seasoned cricketers, and they knew their stuff, before long they figured the bladerunner was making good use of pace, and they put on the spinners, the pitch was rough up near the batsman, and the ball spun well.....too well actually.....the Indian Li’l master could be seen bowling leggies that looked like spiralling ballerinas.
It was a bit flighted, landed on the rough and spun well, the bladerunner swung again, and missed, the keeper didn’t, it was a flawless stumping.
The bladerunner had been done in, but was still in mode, he was thinking - ’that ball was spinning too much’ , ’and no, am not blaming the pitch, just lemme come out with the ball and I’ll show you, but hey, I didn’t believe it was a bowler’s game, did I? - doesn’t matter, it’ll have to be a bowler’s game, we gotta win this’, at the pavilion he looked at his captain. Inzy was smiling, ’’it’s ok Shahid, you scared them real good, it’s all we needed, ...for now, and yeah...looking at the pitch, how’s that spin o’yours coming?, jus might come in handy’’.
Mohammed Ovais Minai
Am a die-hard India fan, but .....sometimes...
...you just have to say it like it is, Afridi rocks!