Shahid Afridi compares CT 2017 victory to Pakistan's 1992 World Cup win

Former Pakistan skipper, Shahid Afridi is a happy man post his national team’s emphatic victory in the finals of the Champions Trophy, 2017. An underdog Pakistan lifted the Cup, by defeating India in a scintillating final. On this occasion, Afridi, in a column for the International Cricketing Council (ICC) expressed his elation and hopes for more such victories for the team in the future.

Pakistan played an all-round game of cricket to defeat Indian by a margin of 180 runs at the Kensington Oval. Young Hasan Ali bowled exceptionally well throughout the championship and Fakhar Zaman played an exceptional inning of 114 runs in the finale, to bag the trophy. Brilliance in every department of the game is bound to gift the Pakistan team new confidence and vigour.

In Afridi’s words

“This is one victory that Pakistan fans will remember for long. It has been an ultra-quick turnaround from no-hopers to champions for the Pakistan players and the manner in which the team won the match was really impressive.”

His words make an apt summary for what the entire nation and the team’s feelings right now. Coming into the tournament, they had barely been acknowledged as a reckoning force. But they proved the sceptics wrong, and how!

Echoing the joy of the entire nation, he further added, “The turnaround has left the world bewildered and has brought a wave of ecstasy and unbridled joy for Pakistanis all around the world. As soon as the game ended, celebrations mirroring the 1992 World Cup and 2009 World T20 wins began across the country.”

Praise for Sarfraz and team

Also nicknamed as “Boom Boom Afridi” Afridi has always been considered as one of Pakistan’s stylish stalwarts. Having been a captain himself, he is acutely aware of the pressure that accompanies the position. Afridi lauded the young and talented crop of players, especially the current Pakistan skipper, Sarfraz Ahmed, for having maintained good temperament and passion throughout the tournament.

The former all-rounder asserted that the victory will remain in the hearts of the Pakistani fans for long and that the Sarfraz Ahmed-led side deserve to celebrate well beyond the Eid festival next week as the players richly deserve their victory.

Hopes for the future

The 37-year-old Afridi further insisted that this victory has put Pakistan on the tracks for a better and brighter future. He compared the Champions Trophy victory to Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup victory and stated, “The 1992 World Cup win gave us a new generation of match winners and this win ranks very close to that, I am confident that Pakistan cricket is back on track and we will see this team reach some incredible highs in the years to come, especially if the team continues to play with the kind of passion and commitment displayed in this tournament.”

In his view, the upcoming 2019 World Cup, the teams who committed the mistake of underestimating Pakistan, would certainly not repeat it in the future after this performance. He is confident that Pakistan are going to build around this new-found momentum and be one of the strongest contenders for the World Cup trophy, if not among the top 3 teams by the time the tournament begins.

– Written by Rituparna Das