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Afridi wasted 3 balls, then he had to go to the lavatory, it was urgent. He attempted a front foot pull – it was like a failed coup in a happy go lucky banana republic. Even if you fail, they let you off with a reprimand rolled with a blog rant.
Had it come off, it would’ve been the shot of the fortnight. Then he would’ve been decorated like Generals often are after happy ending coups.
Such shots should be attempted every now and then. They make cricket far more interactive. You get to ask Afridi, “Why Afridi, why?” He will tell you if was the IPL, eating away at him.
It wasn’t gonna stop there. He snacked at the ball. “Samosa aur chai hoh jai, aur ek white ball bhi? Seams good.”
How long before Afridi bites one of his mates and gives them eternal cricket life – “Change me!” they say; straight out of the Twilight series as they are; even if they can’t make out with Afridi, they'll play on forever.
You can also read Over to Afridi
Next: Afridi bites teammate
it will be very unfortunate for australia...
if kamran akmal is dropped for the next test...
Umar Akmal is playing for an IPL spot
71.5
Hauritz to Umar Akmal, FOUR, fourth boundary for Akmal of Hauritz this over, again tossed up wide outside the off stump and swings it high in the air and on the bounce to midwicket fence.
71.4
Hauritz to Umar Akmal, FOUR, flighted delivery outside the off stump and he is down on one knee and swings it high over midwicket and one bounce to the fence, wonderful strike.
71.2
Hauritz to Umar Akmal, FOUR, too short and too wide, quickly on the back foot and cuts hard behind point for another boundary.
71.1
Hauritz to Umar Akmal, FOUR, tossed up outside the off stump and Akmal drives it well through extra cover and to the fence for a boundary, gets off the mark in style.
That's 16 of the first 6 balls faced. I would've put it in my own words but no friggin cable. Life is hard. Your cable shouldn't be. As I write, or rather, as cricinfo types, it's 20 of 7. How far will Shane Warne go for this royal kid?
Mohammad Asif drugs Australia.
The ball was like some flutter-freak elusive butterfly – not fast enough to whizz past but that teasing fast that fools you into thinking it’s yours for the grab; you may get your finger tips to it, but it will never be within your grasp.
Asif’s bowling, harmless, inviting, mesmerizing, it was that kind of day; I felt privileged to be awake, early by my standards on a Sunday. And once up, there was no way I could keep my eyes of the ball – the eyes danced as the ball danced, it was a slow, tricky dance, it had disguise, a deep, mysterious, almost comical disguise at that, almost Kathakali like.
There was music to it too; the ball moved to some dead master’s symphony. Mohammad Asif was Maestro. And he had the almost scruffy way of G for genius; inventing as he went along.
And as he played along, he composed a requiem for the Aussie innings.
Last and final call for Younis Khan.
By now you know that Younis Khan could be on the next flight to Sydney. He’s been on standby ever since the Melbourne test went according to plan, that is abysmally wrong. Younis being a Pak ex-captain was expecting this; he had his bags packed as he heard S&G’s Homeward Bound backwards.
Till tea, fourth day, the test has had only one flow; after tea is when it reverted to a classic Pak test, ebb, flow, ebb and flow, and sometimes flow and ebb.
It was in the post tea session that Younis was put on high alert; he was on call. The smile was back as he patted random travellers and high fived a few youngsters at the Karachi airport. He urged his mobile to ring, a call from MoYo, even his ringtone had been changed to the appropriate, “AHJA AHJA…AAAH!” (come, come…come!)
To be honest, the phone did ring a few times. Each time Younis started to gyrate like some Bollywood nymph, and then just when he was through with his item number, the phone would stop ringing.
Deal is, after a wicket, a partnership had started to develop. The first phone rang at 18/1 when Farhat fell. And as Younis took his time to take the call, Salman Butt and Faisal Iqbal already got into partnership mode.
It is known that MoYo can change his mind abruptly; his shenanigans of calling and then disconnecting, not something new, ask Kapil Dev if you don’t believe me.
Of course Younis called MoYo back, whose ringtone was appropriately “Kabhi haan, kabhi naa” ('times yes, 'times no); as expected MoYo didn’t take the call. Why would he, that’s not the nature of the beast.
And then, Butt played across to one; MoYo was mortified – how could he, this chokada? Padded and set to walk out, MoYo decided to call Younis one more time, and tell him, “Arey, board kar plane, kayamat aah gayi hai yahaan…”
But did he get to tell him? Younis’ phone rang, and how he danced, he knew Butt was gone; he was still enjoying the replay on the giant flat screen, doing his gig, beaming, high fiving random travellers.
Now even though it wasn’t a T20, you still have to get there and bat. Why wasn’t Younis answering – MoYo was going mad. Misbah muttered from behind, “Ja yaar, Ja”
Always being in two minds, MoYo walked with bat, and mobile phone. But that incident the Late Cronje had with the Late Woolmer; ear implants are disallowed; and MoYo chucked his mobile in disgust.
As it wasn’t a 3 Mobile, the sponsors didn’t take the call. Elsewhere, Younis wildly repeated, “Yousuf bhai, Yousuf bhai…bhai??!”
But all he could hear were abusive Aussie kids, and drunken wankers. A rare black sea pearl shaped tear drop appeared, and then disappeared; it was as if Younis had never cried.
Almost ten overs later when Faisal fell, Younis’ hopes rose…MoYo asked for a drink, the drink came, he asked the drink’s boy for his mobile, but the mobile never came.
It was trampled upon by the drinks’ boy, who kept telling his mates, “my feet are talking – strange airport announcement sounds” They thought he was mad.
Fifty four runs and no wickets later, MoYo and Umar Akmal returned, to fight and call another day – Younis meanwhile sits in the Terminal, thinking about that Tom Hanks movie he once saw. Can cricket imitate the movies?
