Sharjah: Shahid Afridi, the hero of thousands of UAE cricket fans, ignited the excitement of Sharjah’s Cricket Stadium’s return to international cricket through an electrifying knock of 75 runs and a deadly spell of 5 for 35 to help Pakistan win the series 3-1.
It was Afridi’s day and Pakistan recorded an exciting 26 runs win over Sri Lanka in a match which lived up to Sharjah Cricket Stadium’s reputation of producing exciting cricket.
Sri Lanka restricted Pakistan to 200 in 49.3 overs but Pakistan bowled them out for 174 runs in 45.2 overs.
Afridi lived up to his nick name ‘Boom Boom’ with shots to all parts of the stadium to lift Pakistan out of trouble from 97 for 6 to 200 in 49.3 overs as Sharjah Cricket Stadium took fresh guard for a new innings by staging its 201st One-day match.
After being included in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting the maximum number of one-day international in the world and becoming the only stadium to host over 200 One-day matches, this venue packed with fans on a working day thus staked its claim to be a worthy ground to host many more matches in the future.
Chasing a run rate of 4.04, veteran batsmen Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene helped Sri Lanka almost level the series. Together they put on 102 runs in 25.1 overs. Sangkkara hit his 66th one-day half century while Jayawardene scored his 62nd half century. Afridi dismissed Sangakkara for 58 and Jayawardene for 55 to pave the way for a spectacular victory.
Pakistan who began badly losing six wickets for 97 runs was virtually pulled out of disaster by Afridi all by himself. He sparkled as a batsman and as a bowler to record for his sixth five wicket haul in One-day cricket.
Sri Lanka too began badly with Aizaz Cheema having Upul Tharanga brilliantly caught by Younus Khan at first slip for 16 and also Dilshan caught behind for 11. After Dinesh Chandimal fell for 11 to Mohammad Hafeez, both Sangakkara and Jayawardene took charge only to bow before Afridi’s magic.
Earlier, Pakistan won the toss backed by the vociferous support from their fans. When opener Mohammad Hafeez hit Thisara Perera’s half volley through the covers, the cheers reached its peak and when Imran Farhat too clipped the deadly Lasith Malinga’s yorker to the fine leg boundary, it looked like the opener pair is set for another big partnership.
Sri Lankan fans who had remained silent took over when Dilhara Fernando with the first ball of the seventh over had Farhat brilliant caught by wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara diving to his right. None thought it was just the start of many more joyous moments for Sri Lankans who were a minority compared to the Pakistanis.
Sekkuge Prasanna dismissed Mohammad Hafeez, the man of the match in Pakistan’s third One-day victory in Dubai. Going for a slog sweep, he perished for 27 runs.
Fernando dealt the biggest blow on Pakistan by dismissing Younus Khan with an intelligent slow delivery. Khan scooped the ball to Jeevan Mendis in the cover for 18.
Mendis also trapped Shoaib Malik, who returned into the team in place of Abdul Razzaq, leg before for 2. Umar Akmal too became a Mendis victim through referral which forced umpire Zameer Haider to reverse his decision and declare him leg before.
With five wickets down for 71, it looked like Pakistan will be bowled out for a very small total. When Misbah Ul Haq too got run out in a mix up with Afridi for 16, the Pakistan fans had totally gone into slumber.
Afridi, the hero that they had come to cheer, woke them up with a sixer off Mendis to long on to announce that there is still a battle left in the match. Though Pakistan lost Sarfraz Ahmed too it did not matter. The fans cheered for Afridi who settled down to enthrall the16,000 fans with shots many had not seen in the recent years. Afridi reached his fifty a thumping six over deep extra cover off Prasanna and the whole stadium stood up to give him a standing applause. None could believe that this is a man who had retired from cricket a few months back.
So vociferous was the support for Afridi that Fernando dropped a simple catch off Prasanna at mid wicket. Perera ended Afridi’s blitzkrieg forcing him to chase an outgoing delivery and Sangakkara producing a brilliant catch. His knock of 75 off 65 balls with four boundaries and three sixers was his 32nd one-day half century. So dominating was Afridi’s performance that it belittled Sri Lankans bowler impressive bowling performance led by Fernando with three wickets, backed by Mendis and Prasanna with two wickets each.
