'Never tried that shot in my life before'

Afghanistan had seven wickets in hand and needed 26 off 18 deliveries against Bangladesh before the start of the 18th over on Tuesday. Najibullah Zadran had already seized the momentum with three sixes prior to that over but he was not done, and in the fifth delivery of that Saifuddin over he produced a shot that left hands on heads.

The delivery was a bouncer and was about to go over Najibullah's head with Saifuddin looking to find a top-edge or, at the very least, extract a dot ball. Zadran robbed back and then had that extra time in his hand as the left-hander decided to play the most effective shot.

It was neither a pull nor a hook, or a swat, but somehow it appeared something in-between all those shots and yet unique in its sheer invention. It was akin to a backhand badminton shot and the ball sailed over the square-leg boundary for a six.

Such a shot, with intent and class in equal measure, goes a long way into asserting the courage and confidence of the young Afghan side.

A day after their seven-wicket victory against the Tigers, this reporter caught up to Najibullah at his team hotel yesterday. Asked if he had practiced that shot, he just shook his head with a smile and said, "Never tried that shot in my life before."

Even the sternest critic would have to admit that Najibullah had the intent to do what he actually did. However, Najibullah did mention what might have helped him execute such a shot. "Well, I did play a lot of tennis-ball cricket," he said.

The ability to play that extraordinary shot was enabled by the flexible wrists developed while playing cricket as a kid and he made it look easy. Fans might remember that shot for a while.