Watch: Mujeeb Ur Rahman smashed sixes galore en route to Afghanistan’s fastest-ever ODI half-century, giving Pakistan a fright in the third ODI in the process.
Mujeeb walked in in a hopeless situation, the score reading 97-7 chasing 269 to win. Moreover, if Afghanistan were looking around for someone to provide a miracle, Mujeeb would be some way down the list; he had played more than 300 professional matches coming into today (August 26) and had a top score of 27. He had played 63 ODIs for an average of 6.15 and a high score of 18*.
What followed must therefore go down as one of the unlikeliest feats of batting brilliance cricket has ever seen. Mujeeb walked off 64 off 37 to his name, having hit five fours and five sixes and broken Afghanistan’s national record for the fastest ODI fifty, brought up off 26 balls.
An early signal of his intent was a reverse-swept four off Mohammad Nawaz, but it was off Faheem Ashraf that he really got going. With six, four, six off consecutive balls, all swatted somewhat agriculturally over the leg-side, he had raced to 22, a new career-best, in just nine balls.
[breakout id=”0″][/breakout]
Six more came in the next over, again off Nawaz, and even Shadab Khan’s leg-spin proved no obstacle, with the slog-sweep unfurled. Pace, in the form of Mohammad Wasim Jr, was re-introduced, but that couldn’t stop Mujeeb, who middled another four over mid-on. He then smashed Nawaz again, this time coming down the track to muscle over mid-wicket for six. A single in the following over brought up a half-century.
Shaheen Shah Afridi was then brought back in an attempt to end the fun, but Mujeeb wasn’t yet done. He struck through mid-off and flicked through mid-wicket for two more boundaries. Afghanistan needed 82 off the last six, and the way Mujeeb was batting, Pakistan would have surely been nervous.
But the innings ended in similarly barmy fashion to how it had progressed, with Mujeeb attempting to flick Shaheen fine, and only succeeding in kicking his own stumps, bringing a Hassan Ali prediction true in the process.
