Shahid Afridi happy as the gamble to open paid off

Former Pakistan captain, Shahid Afridi, on Wednesday played a mind blowing knock in the ongoing Natwest T20 blast for Hampshire opening the innings in the first quarter-final. He scored 101 runs from just 43 deliveries which included 10 fours and 7 towering sixes. Powered by his knock, Hampshire defeated Derbyshire by 101 runs.

Afridi himself revealed that he had to persuade the director of cricket Giles White and skipper James Vince to let him open the batting. The veteran had not opened for Hampshire since the 2011 Blast game and then too he had scored 80 against Somerset which was not enough for his team to win the semi-final.

“I asked the captain and coach yesterday if I could bat higher up the order because seven or eight is not my position,” Afridi said, after his swashbuckling maiden century in T20. He also stressed on the importance of taking chances in knockout matches. “In crucial games you have to take chances. The first six overs are important and you need batters who play aggressively like me to utilise this,” he added.

The 37-year-old also said that he had the confidence this time around that he will do well if allowed to open. “I wanted to put pressure on them from the start although it was not easy because the new ball was seaming. The first six overs are important and I tried to start on the attack. “The last time I opened the batting for Hampshire was finals day in 2011 but the main thing is confidence and I felt confident today.”

Afridi in T20 Blast this season

Shahid Afridi, the key member of Pakistan’s triumph in 2009 World T20, had a poor outing with the bat before the quarter-final on Wednesday. He had scored a mere 50 runs in 7 innings with the strike rate of under 100. But the all-rounder came back to form with a bang and secured his team’s place in the semi-finals.