Shoaib Malik turns 40.
He happens to be one of my favourite cricketers.
This bizarre thread is about the evening when I became a Malik fan, so this is more about me than Malik.
You have been warned.
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He happens to be one of my favourite cricketers.
This bizarre thread is about the evening when I became a Malik fan, so this is more about me than Malik.
You have been warned.
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The Coca Cola Champions Trophy of 1999, in Sharjah, featured West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
West Indies scraped through against Sri Lanka in the first match, but were steamrolled by Pakistan in the second.
The third match was between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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West Indies scraped through against Sri Lanka in the first match, but were steamrolled by Pakistan in the second.
The third match was between Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
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Sri Lanka had not done well in the World Cup that year.
But that was in England.
Their phalanx of spinners, typically consisting of Muttiah Muralitharan, along with men who bowled wicket-to-wicket on slow, low Asian pitches under lights, were a different matter altogether.
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But that was in England.
Their phalanx of spinners, typically consisting of Muttiah Muralitharan, along with men who bowled wicket-to-wicket on slow, low Asian pitches under lights, were a different matter altogether.
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There was also Chaminda Vaas.
And an explosive batting line-up.
Pakistan did not have Saqlain Mushtaq.
At that point, Saqlain was considered by many as the best spinner in ODI cricket.
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And an explosive batting line-up.
Pakistan did not have Saqlain Mushtaq.
At that point, Saqlain was considered by many as the best spinner in ODI cricket.
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They replaced Saqlain with a scrawny, innocent-looking boy.
They said he was 17. He did not look a day older than 14.
There was no Saqlainesque shrewdness in this boy.
He seemed to have been kidnapped from his study table and asked to bowl off breaks with a Saqlain action.
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They said he was 17. He did not look a day older than 14.
There was no Saqlainesque shrewdness in this boy.
He seemed to have been kidnapped from his study table and asked to bowl off breaks with a Saqlain action.
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He could well have been the boy next door, busy memorising trigonometry formulae.
See what I mean?
Shoaib Malik had done well on debut, helping Pakistan strangle West Indies.
He was little more than a rank tail-ender those days. He batted at #10, just above Arshad Khan.
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See what I mean?
Shoaib Malik had done well on debut, helping Pakistan strangle West Indies.
He was little more than a rank tail-ender those days. He batted at #10, just above Arshad Khan.
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In this match, he hit the first ball he faced back to Sanath Jayasuriya.
A golden duck, just like that.
Pakistan folded for 196. Marvan Atapattu did not last, but Romesh Kaluwitharana and Russel Arnold did.
Sri Lanka needed 40 in 15 overs with 9 wickets in hand.
No typo.
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A golden duck, just like that.
Pakistan folded for 196. Marvan Atapattu did not last, but Romesh Kaluwitharana and Russel Arnold did.
Sri Lanka needed 40 in 15 overs with 9 wickets in hand.
No typo.
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This was also Durga Pujo time.
My friends summoned me from the local pandal (Maddox Square).
Cell-phones in those days were restricted to the rich. They had sent a human messenger.
This was a friend of mine, though I think he would not have felt the same way since that day.
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My friends summoned me from the local pandal (Maddox Square).
Cell-phones in those days were restricted to the rich. They had sent a human messenger.
This was a friend of mine, though I think he would not have felt the same way since that day.
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I had to tell him.
Since Pakistan and Sri Lanka were playing, I would not leave until the match got over.
He did not understand this.
He would have understood if I chose India versus Pakistan over Pujo.
Even he would have waited. Perhaps.
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Since Pakistan and Sri Lanka were playing, I would not leave until the match got over.
He did not understand this.
He would have understood if I chose India versus Pakistan over Pujo.
Even he would have waited. Perhaps.
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India versus Sri Lanka, umm, he might not.
But given my cricket-obsession, he might have given me some concession.
But giving up a Durga Pujo evening – the high point of every Kolkata youth of that generation – for Pakistan versus Sri Lanka?
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But given my cricket-obsession, he might have given me some concession.
But giving up a Durga Pujo evening – the high point of every Kolkata youth of that generation – for Pakistan versus Sri Lanka?
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He still wanted to have a look at the score.
I could almost read his mind.
It must be a very, very close match out there, why would Abhishek delay otherwise?
Unfortunately, the 40 runs-15 overs-9 wickets equation rattled him so much that he left without a word.
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I could almost read his mind.
It must be a very, very close match out there, why would Abhishek delay otherwise?
Unfortunately, the 40 runs-15 overs-9 wickets equation rattled him so much that he left without a word.
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By then Razzaq had Kaluwitharana caught behind.
But that meant Arnold was joined by Aravinda de Silva, the man who had stood between India and a World Cup final berth at Eden Gardens 1996.
Another 5 overs passed.
24 runs, 10 overs, 8 wickets.
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But that meant Arnold was joined by Aravinda de Silva, the man who had stood between India and a World Cup final berth at Eden Gardens 1996.
Another 5 overs passed.
24 runs, 10 overs, 8 wickets.
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Any sane neutral fan would have left to bask in the city-wide celebrations.
But by then I had made up my mind.
Since I had waited this long, I might as well wait until the end.
How long would it take? Three overs? Four?
Now the little off-spinner came on.
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But by then I had made up my mind.
Since I had waited this long, I might as well wait until the end.
How long would it take? Three overs? Four?
Now the little off-spinner came on.
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The text on his back read SHOIB (not SHOAIB).
The first ball was straight, on a length.
It drew Arnold forward, and hurried to knock the off-stump back.
Jayasuriya had held himself back till #5 (why?). He now strode out purposefully.
He could do this in this over…
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The first ball was straight, on a length.
It drew Arnold forward, and hurried to knock the off-stump back.
Jayasuriya had held himself back till #5 (why?). He now strode out purposefully.
He could do this in this over…
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... but all he got was a single.
At the other end, Wasim Akram returned to finish what seemed a pointless exercise.
There was a leg-before appeal as Jayasuriya shuffled.
No, said David Shepherd.
Jayasuriya unleashed his famous slash off the next ball.
Caught behind.
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At the other end, Wasim Akram returned to finish what seemed a pointless exercise.
There was a leg-before appeal as Jayasuriya shuffled.
No, said David Shepherd.
Jayasuriya unleashed his famous slash off the next ball.
Caught behind.
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Surely Sri Lanka could not lost it from here? Nah, they had Vaas at #9...
The boy cricketer continued at the other end, keeping Aravinda under check – something most contemporaries had failed to achieve.
Aravinda swept and top-edged. The sweep fell short of deep fine leg.
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The boy cricketer continued at the other end, keeping Aravinda under check – something most contemporaries had failed to achieve.
Aravinda swept and top-edged. The sweep fell short of deep fine leg.
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He then tried to pull one from Wasim, a ball too full for the shot.
Bowled.
20 runs, 40 balls, 5 wickets.
What. The.
Suddenly I was not missing the festivities any more.
Chamara Silva joined Mahela Jayawardene.
They batted cautiously.
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Bowled.
20 runs, 40 balls, 5 wickets.
What. The.
Suddenly I was not missing the festivities any more.
Chamara Silva joined Mahela Jayawardene.
They batted cautiously.
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All they had to do was to survive those 40 balls. If they did that, the runs would come.
They saw off Wasim's spell. The singles came.
11 runs, 26 balls, 5 wickets.
Then Abdul Razzaq had Mahela caught behind.
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They saw off Wasim's spell. The singles came.
11 runs, 26 balls, 5 wickets.
Then Abdul Razzaq had Mahela caught behind.
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Suresh Perera (who remembers him?) went for an ugly hoick first ball, missed, and was clean bowled.
11 runs, 24 balls, 3 wickets.
Were Pakistan favourites at this point?
Silva was running out of partners now. He smote one to the point boundary.
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11 runs, 24 balls, 3 wickets.
Were Pakistan favourites at this point?
Silva was running out of partners now. He smote one to the point boundary.
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The kind of shot that brings a dressing-room back to life.
More runs came.
3 runs, 13 balls, 3 wickets.
Now, for some reason, Vaas went ballistic.
Nine out of ten times he would have blocked the ball or tried to push it to a gap.
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More runs came.
3 runs, 13 balls, 3 wickets.
Now, for some reason, Vaas went ballistic.
Nine out of ten times he would have blocked the ball or tried to push it to a gap.
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Instead, he tried a hideous cross-batted swipe. The stump was knocked out.
Malik, the boy entrusted with bowling at the death with so much at stake, had bowled out.
10-0-42-1. Bowling mostly at the death, remember.
He was replaced by Azhar Mahmood.
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Malik, the boy entrusted with bowling at the death with so much at stake, had bowled out.
10-0-42-1. Bowling mostly at the death, remember.
He was replaced by Azhar Mahmood.
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Razzaq, of course, would bowl the final over if one was needed.
Silva guided the first ball to third-man.
2 runs, 11 balls, 2 wickets.
Murali could do this in one shot.
But he poked and missed.
And poked and missed again.
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Silva guided the first ball to third-man.
2 runs, 11 balls, 2 wickets.
Murali could do this in one shot.
But he poked and missed.
And poked and missed again.
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Murali placed the next ball towards point.
Silva set off in a flash.
The scores were level.
But Pakistan could still tie this.
They had to keep Sri Lanka from scoring for 8 balls, or, more realistically, get 2 wickets.
It was time.
I reached out for my wallet and watch.
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Silva set off in a flash.
The scores were level.
But Pakistan could still tie this.
They had to keep Sri Lanka from scoring for 8 balls, or, more realistically, get 2 wickets.
It was time.
I reached out for my wallet and watch.
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It had been a nice match.
Mahmood stuck to his outside-off line.
This time it came back in slightly.
Silva did a Murali. He poked and missed.
Silva shuffled across and flicked the next ball, and Murali sprinted as if his life depended on it.
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Mahmood stuck to his outside-off line.
This time it came back in slightly.
Silva did a Murali. He poked and missed.
Silva shuffled across and flicked the next ball, and Murali sprinted as if his life depended on it.
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The square-leg fielder swooped while still in motion.
One stump to aim. A split second to hit.
A miss would mean a defeat.
It had to be a Joe Solomon moment, nothing less.
The fielder took a couple of steps closer to the stumps before releasing that underarm throw.
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One stump to aim. A split second to hit.
A miss would mean a defeat.
It had to be a Joe Solomon moment, nothing less.
The fielder took a couple of steps closer to the stumps before releasing that underarm throw.
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It did turn out to be a Joe Solomon moment.
The ecstatic fielders engulfed the hero, who was jumping around everywhere, pumping his fist in celebration.
The television camera zoomed in on him.
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The ecstatic fielders engulfed the hero, who was jumping around everywhere, pumping his fist in celebration.
The television camera zoomed in on him.
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That scrawny teenager who had got rid of his school-dress to don the guise of adults.
That was the specific moment I became a Shoaib Malik fan.
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That was the specific moment I became a Shoaib Malik fan.
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Silva went an expansive off-drive off the first ball of the next over, from Razzaq.
It was a near-yorker.
Silva was bowled. The match was tied.
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It was a near-yorker.
Silva was bowled. The match was tied.
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I waited for the Player of the Match award before I left to join my friends.
They never understood. They were too normal.
They never understood. They were too normal.
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