Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Shahid Afridi and Virender Sehwag are two players cut from the same cloth. Both play Test and one-day cricket with the same aggression, just the colour of the jerseys differ.
One is the only Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket; the other has the fastest century in one-day internationals. But they still aren8217;t in the same league.
These men give strike rates their identity. Both score at about 70 runs per 100 balls in Test cricket but it is one-dayers that there strike rates are truly sparkling. Sehwag after 107 matches has a strike rate of 94 while Afridi after almost 199 games enjoys a strike rate of 105 8212; more than anyone who has played more than 50 games.
In the Bangalore Test, Sehwag got a double century, Afridi a quarter of it. But both were captivating. 8216;8216;Sehwag likes to stay at the wicket, I can8217;t do that. I believe in attacking every ball. This is the only way I play because this is the way I learnt my cricket,8221; Afridi says.
Adding the number of one-dayers that he has played as another reason for his attacking style.8216;8216;If I had got the number of chances Sehwag has got I would have been a different player too,8217;8217; Afridi adds.
8216;8216;I didn8217;t know what my role in the team was for so many years,8217;8217; he adds. Yet Afridi refuses to admit that Sehwag is the most exciting batsman in world cricket today.
8216;8216;Adam Gilchrist,8217;8217; he says, 8216;8216;is the most exciting batsman in the world, then Sehwag. And lets not call him the world8217;s best yet because he has to still prove himself,8217;8217; says Afridi.
Yet ask him what will be the difference between his team and a victory at Bangalore and he says, 8216;Sehwag8217;. 8216;8216;If we can get him out early, we can make a match out of it,8217;8217; he says. When he walked out to bat today, his coach told him to just stay at the wicket for the first four-five overs and then explode.
It was a valiant but futile piece of advice. The Pakistan fifty was up in the seventh over of the innings and at the end of ten overs, Pakistan was 77-0. Minutes later he had 8212; with seven fours and two sixes 8212; registered the fastest Test fifty by a Pakistani.
8216;8216;Hitting the ball is the most important thing for me. I decided to attack the ball because I am playing as an opener in Test cricket after a long time. So I thought I should attack the new ball before it finds my edge,8217;8217; he says. And playing against India is the most exciting prospect for him. 8216;8216;There is so much pressure against India that I love it. If you perform against India, you are recognised back home. It shows you are tough,8217;8217; he adds.
8216;8216;I enjoyed the 141 I scored against India because we won that game, if we win this game tomorrow, then I will treasure this 58 as well. Scores matter to me if they win the team games,8217;8217; he says adding that he did not know he had scored the fastest Test fifty for Pakistan until now.
