ODI World Cup: At Eden, Shaheen Shah Afridi shows he is Pakistan’s captain-in-waiting
The eyes of Eden Gardens always stopped at Shaheen Shah Afridi. His long limbs and blue eyes, his genial smile and the quiff the breeze could not ruffle. The crowd watched him, as though he had cast a spell on them. Babar Azam searched for him, whenever he needed a moment of inspiration, or a suggestion. His colleagues reached out towards him, if they needed a note of advice or help; the fielders would scream his name, whenever the ball ventured into the deep. Even the Bangladesh batsmen peered at him, to see whether he was warming up. He met the gaze, demands and needs of all.
It was the evening where Afridi took on at least half a dozen guises — leader, lead-bowler, talisman, old-ball intimidator, new-ball virtuoso and hope-giver. His bowling set-up the day, his aura and leadership th...