Sports
INTERVIEW: ‘I could feel the trophy in my hands before the final’ — Shahid Afridi on 2009 World T20 glory
Out strode a tiger, unfazed by the occasion or the massive task at hand.
It was the 2009 T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka at a jam-packed Lord’s. Shahid Khan Afridi, a maverick of the game, was ready for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Half an hour of Afridi, game over, tournament over, Boom Boom wins it for you,” quipped former England captain Nasser Hussain on the television commentary.
The situation demanded otherwise, though: excruciating levels of patience and precision — something this phenomenal striker of the ball, who was given the moniker ‘Boom Boom’, was never known for — as Pakistan chased a modest yet tricky 139.
For Pakistan, luckily, it was his day. While checking his traditionally flamboyant willow work, Afridi embraced wisdom early on as he rotated the strike with Shoaib Malik, before launching his traditional onslaught to steer the Younis Khan-led team to a memorable eight-wicket triumph at the sport’s headquarters.
A shaky start
The all-rounder, like his team, had started off the World Cup campaign in an ordinary fashion. As the event progressed, however, he showcased his ability both with bat and ball, and peaked in the semi-final and the grand finale.
“In my mind I had planned to celebrate the victory [in the final] in my signature style [both arms raised] while I was batting in the middle,” the former all-rounder told Dawn in an interview ahead of this year’s World Cup, reminiscing the Green-shirts’ magnificent triumph.
A pristine form of self-nurtured confidence, though at times self-destructive and seriously lacking logic, was Afridi’s instinct. But this incomparable speciality did wonders for him many times, including in that final, where he top-scored with a 40-ball 54 not out batting at number three as he completed Pakistan’s chase in the penultimate over bowled by fast bowler Lasith Malinga.
“I could feel the trophy in my hands before the final,” quipped the 45-year-old. “I was very confident even before the semi-final [where his all-round excellence shone and was awarded player-of-the-match], and entered the field [to bat] with a positive mindset.
“You get opportunities to perform and win matches for your country, in big games; if you stay confident, you definitely earn positive results.
“We had a decent start [of 48] with [opener] Kamran Akmal (37) contributing solidly. The target was not that big, but still I batted sensibly, taking singles here and there, plus hitting occasional boundaries. In this way, Malik (24 not out) and I kept the scoreboard moving.”
Remarkably, heading into the tournament, Afridi hadn’t been Pakistan’s first choice at number three in the batting order. In a marked stratagem introduced by Pakistan, he was moved from six to three in the group match against Ireland at The Oval; the decision proved a bonanza for Pakistan till the final.
“It was Younis’ decision who, after discussing the matter with me, told me to bat up the order,” reflected Afridi. “I also wanted the same but there wasn’t any big hitter in our team down the order.
“It changed when Abdul Razzaq joined the squad later [to replace injured Yasir Arafat] and Younis’s timely decision to change my batting position worked for us.”
Bigger mission
That triumph remains Pakistan’s sole title at the event, and for the team, as Afridi recalls, there was no shortage of motivation as there were bigger things at play.
“Just a few months before the World Cup, the Sri Lankan cricket team members had endured that terrible terror attack in Lahore,” he remembered. “It was a horrific incident that dented Pakistan’s image badly and resulted in foreign teams refusing to come to play in our country.
“In that scenario, we, the players under the captaincy of Younis, had decided that we would deliver our very best to win the World Cup so that international cricket can be brought back to our country.
“We did not have a good start [losing two out of the first three games]. However, later, some nice individual performances by all the players steered us to an outstanding victory. Under the able leadership of Younis, the team played like a dedicated unit which had one target: winning the title for Pakistan.”
While belting fours was a regular attribute of his breathtaking batting, Afridi had all the rights of smashing ruthless sixes — regardless of the size of the ground, the bowler and the situation — reserved in his name.
The most astonishing aspect is that this striking ability did not diminish at any stage during an international career spanning over 20 years. And this very trait enabled Afridi to remain a fearsome opponent against all opponents.
The right-hander cracked two towering sixes in the Lord’s final — one each against off-spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan and paceman Isuru Udana, in the 14th and 18th overs, respectively.
On which one was more significant, he reckoned both were equally productive.
“Big shots were required on both occasions when I hit those sixes. So, both were equally important. I particularly tried to be aggressive against Muralitharan rather than just taking singles, otherwise it would have become tough for us to complete the chase,” he recalled.
Compared to what turned out to be a lop-sided final, Pakistan’s semi-final clash against South Africa in Nottingham was a more intense affair with Younis and his men getting over the line by just seven runs at Trent Bridge.
Primed for the big occasion, Afridi blazed with bat and ball. His 51 off just 34 balls, featuring eight bullet-like fours on a slowish track, was pure gold as Pakistan, electing to bat first, posted a decent 149-4.
Afridi sounded very Afridi on how he managed to bat briskly on a slow track where stroke-making was tough.
“There are different types of pitches in international cricket. If one thinks [too much] about the type and condition of the pitch, he remains double-minded. I had a clear stance that one has to play a T20 [innings] like this format demands; had I focused too much on [the] pitch condition, I would have slowed down,” he said.
“My prime strength has always been attacking cricket, and the team required a [fast] innings from the top order. Moreover, at that time I had a strong belief in myself to perform because I had been given the chance up the order. I thought that I could win this semi-final for Pakistan. The mindset with which a batter enters the ground matters the most.”
Kallis spat
If Afridi was not vibrant on the ground, then no cricketer could ever be so. Recalling his brief verbal spat with none other than legendary Jacques Kallis as he bowled during the semi-final, the former Pakistan captain said that he had resolved to dominate the fast bowler.
“Kallis was a world-class player; I regard him as one of the best all-rounders in the game. Top players [like Kallis] have egos, and [therefore] at times they make mistakes also,” he said.
“Plus, he was bowling to the line and length of my liking. I also took the advantage of the sluggish pitch and struck boundaries off his bowling with some belligerent strokeplay.”
Afridi’s job, though, was still half done. When South Africa came out to bat, the wily leg-spinner looked to mesmerise the opponents. With some skilful bowling, he got the massive scalps of Herschelle Gibbs and AB de Villiers — cleaning up both of them — when the Proteas were cruising at 46-1 in the seventh over.
The double blow badly hurt South Africa and they never got going after getting restricted to 50-3 in the ninth over.
“I always have had simple bowling plans during my career,” said Afridi. “I sought to get the process right, and to achieve this, I tried that my balls have [appropriate] pace, drift and they remain wicket-to-wicket as much as possible, which increased the chances of the batter getting cleaned up or trapped in front.
“I also tried to avoid conceding boundaries to major batters who get frustrated when boundaries do not come easily. In the context of the semi-final, the wickets of de Villiers and Gibbs, who were in good form, were extremely important for us.”
That the sturdy all-rounder was equally potent as a bowler will be an understatement. His tally of 11 wickets in the same T20 spectacle is a testament to this.
“Bowling always remained my top priority as I started playing cricket mainly as a bowler. However, as I began opening for Pakistan [back in the 1990s and beyond], it clicked and my aggressive style of batting became more productive for Pakistan and prominent among fans; it became my strong point,” he elaborated.
“Moreover, while playing for Pakistan [early in the career] I rarely got the chance to bowl a full quota of overs, or you can say that my main focus was not bowling at that time. Therefore, my batting was highlighted more than bowling.
“However, later when I realised that I wasn’t as consistent as a batter so I myself made bowling as my [primary] strength … and you can see my contribution as bowler as after legendary bowlers Wasim Akram (502) and Waqar Younis (416), I have the third highest number (395) of ODI wickets for Pakistan,” he added.
“As far as the 2009 World Cup is concerned, my bowling performance remained quite impressive, while batting was my plus point as batting fast up the order was required by the team in this World Cup.”
Complete package
While the tournament brought glory to team Pakistan, it was a complete package for Afridi, who bedazzled fans with his fielding on many occasions in his career.
At the tournament, he had a moment in the field too: the jaw-dropping catch he took off Scott Styris — New Zealand’s top-scorer at The Oval — while running backwards towards long-on will be a great miss.
“Oh yes, that catch has remained memorable to date, its video clip is still shared across social media,” he said. “Umar Gul bowled a great spell [record five wickets for six runs in three overs] in that game and it was an important wicket.
“During my career, I always tried to do something special in fielding. I never took fielding as a burden; rather enjoyed every bit of it.”
From Nairobi to Kanpur, from Chennai to Sharjah, from Faisalabad to Toronto, from Lahore to Dambulla, Afridi left his mark at many venues around the world during a fluctuating yet lively career. But his all-round excellence at the World Cup in 2009 will always be held in higher esteem.
South Africa inflicted a 57-run thrashing on Canada in Ahmedabad on Monday, as the 2024 runners-up opened their latest T20 World Cup campaign with a dominant performance with bat and ball.
After Canada won the toss and elected to field, South Africa smashed 47 off the last three overs to pile up 213-4, the highest total so far in this year’s T20 World Cup.
David Miller hit an unbeaten 39 off 23 balls and Tristan Stubbs was not out 34 off 19 as they put on an unbroken stand of 75 in 6.1 overs at the end.
Canada’s Navneet Dhaliwal was the only top- order batsman to offer any resistance, falling for 64 in the final over as Canada were restricted to 156-8 in reply.
Lungi Ngidi did the bulk of the damage for South Africa, taking 4-31 from his four overs as their pace attack had Canada reeling at 45-4 during the powerplay.
Ngidi was named player of the match and said the evening dew had helped his variation.
“It did have a bit of an impact. You could see that once you bowled a touch fuller, it would sort of just slide on. The slow balls were still holding up a little bit,” he said.
“We knew that obviously our attack brings pace, but for me, I feel like the variations are always the ones that catch people out.” Quinton de Kock and captain Aiden Markram got South Africa off to a flying start, putting on an opening stand of 70 in 6.5 overs.
De Kock was first to fall, for 25, bowled by a dipping off-spinner from Dilpreet Bajwa.
Markram sailed on and reached his fifty off 28 balls before falling for 59, caught in the deep after hitting 10 fours and a six.
Left-arm wrist-spinner Ansh Patel was the successful bowler and he enjoyed a fine spell, also removing Ryan Rickelton for a brisk 33 off 21 balls and Dewald Brevis for six.
Patel finished with 3-31 off his four overs after reducing South Africa from 125-1 to 138-4 before Miller and Stubbs took over.
The government announced on Monday that Pakistan would play the T20 World Cup match against India, scheduled for February 15.
In a post on X, the government said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was formally briefed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi regarding the outcomes of high-level deliberations held between the PCB, representatives of the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB).
“The Government of Pakistan has reviewed the formal requests extended to the PCB by the BCB, as well as the supporting communications from Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and other member nations. These correspondences sought Pakistan’s leadership in securing a viable solution to recent challenges,” it said.
“The government further noted the statement by BCB President Aminul Islam. The profound gratitude expressed by our brotherly nation is received with great warmth. Pakistan reaffirms that it stands shoulder to shoulder with Bangladesh,” it said.
It noted that PM Shehbaz had also received a phone call from Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake earlier in the day.
“During their warm and friendly conversation, they recalled that Pakistan and Sri Lanka had always stood shoulder to shoulder, especially during challenging times. The Sri Lankan president requested the prime minister to accord serious consideration to amicably resolve the current impasse,” the government said.
“In view of the outcomes achieved in multilateral discussions, as well as the request of friendly countries, the government of Pakistan hereby directs the Pakistan national cricket team to take the field on February 15, 2026, for its scheduled fixture in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” it said.
“Moreover, this decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the spirit of cricket, and to support the continuity of this global sport in all participating nations,” the government said.
“The prime minister and the people of Pakistan extend their best wishes to the Men in Green. We remain confident that our team will carry the spirit of sportsmanship and national pride onto the field as they compete for global glory,” the government said.
Sri Lanka urges Pakistan to play match
Earlier in the day, Sri Lankan President Dissanayake had urged Pakistan to play its T20 World Cup clash against India. He made the request during a phone call with PM Shehbaz, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“Pakistan fully supported Sri Lankan cricket during terrorism in Sri Lanka,” he was quoted as saying.
“Pakistan gave priority to its long-standing relations with Sri Lanka above all else, and the Pakistani cricket team continued to tour the country to play cricket despite terrorism,” Dissanayake said.
The premier welcomed the Sri Lankan president’s sentiments and noted how Colombo also stood with Islamabad during difficult times and kept cricket going in Pakistan.
“Recently, the Sri Lankan team took an unforgettable step for the Pakistani nation and cricket fans by not cancelling the tour of Pakistan,” PM Shehbaz was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, PM Shehbaz said he would inform the Sri Lankan president about a “final decision” regarding the Pak-India match after consultations.
Meanwhile, BCB President Aminul Islam urged Pakistan to play the match against India. In the statement shared by state-run PTV on X, the BCB expressed gratitude to the PCB and ICC for their “positive roles in trying to overcome recent challenges”.
He particularly thanked the PCB, its chairman and cricket fans in Pakistan for their support.
“Throughout this period, the PCB has demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship and solidarity,” the statement read.
Quoting BCB President Islam, the statement read, “We are deeply moved by Pakistan’s efforts to go above and beyond in supporting Bangladesh during this period. Long may our brotherhood flourish.
“Following my short visit to Pakistan yesterday and given the forthcoming outcomes of our discussions, I request Pakistan to play the ICC T20 World Cup game on 15 February against India for the benefit of the entire cricket ecosystem,” Islam added.
No penalty on Bangladesh for opting out of World Cup: ICC
Meanwhile, the ICC said that it would not impose any penalty on the BCB for opting out of the T20 World Cup and also agreed that the country would host an ICC event prior to the 2031 tournament.
In a statement, the ICC said that it had concluded an “open, constructive and congenial dialogue” with PCB and BCB officials, saying that the meeting was not limited to the tournament in India, but the “broader outlook for cricket in South Asia”.
“While reflecting on the Bangladesh cricket team’s unfortunate absence from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the global governing body for cricket reaffirmed BCB’s position as a valued full member, with a proud cricketing history and a vital role in the growth of the global game,” it said.
The statement reiterated the ICC’s continued facilitation of growth in one of cricket’s “most vibrant” markets, with more than 200 million passionate fans, to ensure that Bangladesh’s non-participation in the tournament did not have any long-term effects on cricket in the country.
Sharing the highlights of the dialogue with BCB and PCB officials, the statement said that it reflected “a forward-looking alignment reached in good faith” and was “intended to provide clarity on the current position of the stakeholders”.
It further mentioned that these outcomes did not “alter, qualify or detract from the ICC’s constitutional autonomy, governance framework or established decision-making processes”, all of which remained fully applicable.
The governing body added that it was agreed that “no financial, sporting or administrative penalty will be imposed on [the] BCB” in relation to the current matter.
“It is acknowledged that BCB retains the right to approach the Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), should it choose to do so. This right exists under current ICC regulations and remains intact,” it stated.
The statement noted that the ICC’s approach was guided by its principles of neutrality and fairness and reflected the shared objective of facilitative support rather than punishment.
Moreover, all the parties reached an agreement that Bangladesh would host an ICC event prior to the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2031, “subject to the usual ICC hosting processes, timelines and operational requirements,” it said.
“This reflects confidence in Bangladesh’s capability as a host and reinforces the ICC’s commitment to providing meaningful hosting opportunities across its membership to develop cricket in the country,” the statement read.
It added that the governing body, the Pakistani and Bangladeshi boards and other members remained committed to continued dialogue, cooperation and constructive engagement in the best interests of the sport.
“All stakeholders acknowledge that the spirit of this understanding is to protect the integrity of the game and preserve unity within the cricket fraternity,” the statement read
ICC Chief Executive Sanjog Gupta was quoted as saying, “Bangladesh’s absence from the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup is regrettable, but it does not alter the ICC’s enduring commitment to Bangladesh as a core cricketing nation.
“Our focus continues to be on working closely with key stakeholders, including BCB, to ensure the sport grows sustainably in the country and that future opportunities for its players and fans are strengthened,” Gupta said.
He further added that Bangladesh remained a priority cricket ecosystem deserving of long-term investment in its development, competitiveness and global integration, and was not defined by short-term disruptions.
The government had given the cricket team the nod to participate in the T20 World Cup 2026, but said the Green Shirts would not play their match with arch-rivals India, scheduled to be held in Colombo.
The decision had come after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland in the tournament, following their refusal to tour India over safety concerns in the wake of soured political relations between the Asian neighbours.
Subsequently, Sri Lanka’s cricket board asked Pakistan to reconsider the decision to boycott the match; Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) told the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that a boycott would result in a financial hit and also hurt the island’s tourism industry, which is still recovering from the 2022 economic meltdown.
It should be mentioned that Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments.
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