Afridi does an Afridi!

I mean wow! Shahid Afridi’s two sixes in two balls sealed the fate of the Pakistan vs India’s game in favor of the defending champions, Pakistan at the Asia Cup group match. While billions of hearts sank in India, another 200 million supporting Pakistan worldwide felt a new life run through their veins.

Never have I seen Twitter, Facebook, News media and SMS flutter with so many congratulatory messages before. #Lala is a trending topic, and so is #Boomboom on Twitter. Open your Facebook timeline in Pakistan, and chances are Lala’s heroics are the only thing on it.

From the very first moment he stepped into the cricket field some 18 years ago, he has literally stormed the world of Cricket. Scoring the most number of fastest centuries, most number of sixes, winning World T20 World Cup for Pakistan, taking nearly 400 ODI wickets and scoring almost a mammoth 8000 ODI Runs. And a strike rate that has never fallen below 100. Never! Never has cricket seen such a phenomenon in one man.

He is undoubtedly a category 5 hurricane when in the groove; annihilating the opposition with his wile googlies, wrong-uns or with batting blitz that seem to make the best bowlers look like club cricketers. Ashwin must have felt that way today. The shell shocked look on his face after Afridi had hit him out of the park twice was priceless. He could not believe such brutality can be imparted to his clever bowling. After all, he is the best India has. How can he be taken apart so easily?

It is not often that someone wins you a crucial match under immense pressure with such superb execution. Sure Miandad did it in Sharjah 1986 but we had to wait literally nearly 30 years to see it happen again. Out of nowhere, Afridi scored 34 runs in 18 balls to bring about an impossible victory. The game was all but lost to India. Only for it to be back in Pakistan’s hands with Afridi’s vigorous onslaught.

Such moments are not just shallow victories, they are game changers. Confidence builders. Nation uniters. They make you happy and give you a reason to live another day. They inspire you to great things.

Just like 1986 victory changed the way Pakistan played cricket for nearly the next 10 years; fearless, tough and matching winning, this victory will change the way this young Pakistan team will take on tougher oppositions in the future.

India just glimpsed what this young team can achieve. The world will now see their talents on display during WorldT20 later next month.

Best of Luck Pakistan. Not just in Asia Cup but for World Cup T20 as well!

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