✪ Babar Azam’s ‘one for the road’ six
[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_3,1_3″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ make_equal=”on” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” custom_padding=”3px||3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_css_main_element=”width: 75% !important;” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_css_main_element_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_main_element_phone=”width: 100% !important;” custom_css_main_element_tablet=”width: 75% !important;”][et_pb_blurb title=”K R Nayar” image=”https://cricketlovers.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/K-R-Nayar1.png” icon_placement=”left” content_max_width=”1100px” image_icon_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” content_max_width_tablet=”” content_max_width_phone=”” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” header_font=”Poppins|700|||on||||” header_text_align=”left” header_text_color=”#E02B20″ header_font_size=”16px” body_font=”Poppins||||||||” body_text_align=”left” body_text_color=”#565656″ custom_padding=”|||550px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”” custom_padding_phone=”|||20px|false|false” custom_padding_last_edited=”on|phone” custom_css_blurb_image=”width:70px;” image_max_width_tablet=”” image_max_width_phone=”” image_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]Senior cricket writer & analyst
[/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.13.0″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”8px||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|true|true” hover_enabled=”0″ box_shadow_style=”preset2″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]Sharjah. Many Indians had turned up for the Pakistan-Scotland match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday. While the Afghanistan-New Zealand match was in progress in Abu Dhabi, someone remarked that if Indians had shown half the interest in Afghanistan’s cricket like they did today, then Afghanistan would have beaten New Zealand easily.
This story was published in The Telegraph, India
When news broke that New Zealand had beaten Afghanistan and that India was out of the World Cup, there were sarcastic remarks that the Indian team can now take a Kabul-Delhi flight back home. When Babar Azam hit a six out of the stadium and Mohammad Hafeez hit another into the roof of the stadium, one spectator commented that ‘one is for the road and the second one is for the roof ‘.
Pakistan vs Pakistan origin
Pakistan fans in the Sharjah stadium were thrilled that their team elected to bat first against Scotland. Interestingly, Scotland opened their bowling attack with left-arm spinner Hamza Tahir who is of Pakistan descent and is the cousin of Majid Haq. Incidentally, Haq was one of Scotland’s top players and had played in two T20 World Cups before. Tahir made his T20 International debut too against Pakistan in 2018.
Lady whistler and her skill
Whistles and horns are not permitted in the Sharjah stadium. But some spectators could whistle so loudly that almost everyone around could hear it. Leading the whistlers in the crowd was a lady whose skills were lauded by everyone around her. She could even whistle to the tune of the often chanted phrase ‘Pakistan jeetega’ (Pakistan will win). A Pakistani couple was spotted wearing a Lasith Malinga-type wig but the wig was coloured green. Many Pakistan fans who could not afford to buy the tickets stood outside the stadium to soak in the atmosphere. Babar Azam obliged them by hitting Mark Watt out of the stadium into the street. A curious fan wanted to know whether Insurance companies would bear the cost of a car that was damaged by a shot from the stadium. An Indian fan jokingly replied that the bill would be sent to the Pakistan team for their management to pay.
Pakistan is 72 times better than Scotland
A Scotland fan seated in the VIP lounge remarked that if the Tartan Army was here, they would be a match for the Pakistan fans. Tartan Army is a name given to fans of the Scotland football team, and they have won accolades for their friendly behaviour and charitable work. When Shaheen Afridi, after clean bowling Michael Leask, did his usual celebration by pointing both arms towards the sky, many spectators imitated him by getting up from the seats and pointing their arms too towards the sky. In the end, while walking out of the ground, a fan wanted to know what this match proved? Before anyone could answer, he himself said: “Pakistan won by 72 runs and hence 72 times better than Scotland!”
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