The senior-most player of Pakistan cricket team, Shoaib Malik played a match-winning knock to save Pakistan from jaws of defeat against Afghanistan. Malik used his experience and played a sensible inning, taking the match towards the end when Afghan spinners were dominating. He sealed the victory in the last over by hitting Aftab Alam two boundaries in a row.
It was a tremendous inning under pressure but Malik won hearts for consoling Alam who was gutted with the result. The medium pacer could not defend 10 runs in the last over. The heartbroken 25-year-old was crying and hiding his face in the jersey.
After celebrating the victory, Malik walked up to him and tried to calm him down. Along with Malik, Hasan Ali too showed the sportsman spirit patting Alam on the back. The Twitterati were touched by the gesture as the photo of him consoling the opponent went viral:
Aftab Alam the bowler, absolutely gutted. Shoaib Malik, the batsman who won the match consoling him. Picture of the day. pic.twitter.com/bqy8WOJeQi
— Hassan Cheema (@Gotoxytop1) September 21, 2018
Shoaib Malik … you have won my heart A man with an epic class
Stay Blessed !!!@realshoaibmalik#PAKvAFG pic.twitter.com/QdfsDtW3Ye— Ammara Awan (@Ammaraa1782) September 21, 2018
Shoaib Malik can bring peace in the region. pic.twitter.com/CXwcUpJAvZ
— SIR .. (@SirJohnRoe) September 21, 2018
Today man of the hearts. #shoaibmalik
— Nazrana Yousufzai (@NazranaYusufzai) September 21, 2018
Great sportsmanship by Shoaib Malik at the end of the match against Afghanistan #AFGvPAK #AsiaCup2018 pic.twitter.com/lyJBgn3VIh
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) September 22, 2018
Amazing person, great man Shoaib Malik@realshoaibmalik….
StayBlessed…..
Mera Pakistan jeet gaya…..
Hamara hero…
Allah always bless you pic.twitter.com/JsLtxD9ZOD— Mirha_jannatzainu meriJan ka happy2u (@JannatMirha) September 21, 2018
Shoaib Malik is like that elder brother who beats his younger brother and when he cries, the elder brother is like: “Acha na abh ami abu ka na batana chup kar ja bhai..” #PAKvAFG pic.twitter.com/N2laTBnAoK
— Saad Kaiser Khan (@SaadKaiser) September 21, 2018
Well done #ShoaibMalik – Great cricketer – Great Human being#PAKvAFG pic.twitter.com/jKEp8dEGJt
— Samar Nadeem (@Satan____Claus) September 21, 2018
Shoaib Malik has shown what a Champion he is, and what’s the importance of experience in these types of situations.
Won the with both his batting & sportsman spirit….#PAKvAFG pic.twitter.com/uky43q23Mm
— A n u p a m (@Anupam183) September 21, 2018
Aftab Alam the bowler, absolutely gutted. Shoaib Malik, the batsman who won the match consoling him. Picture of the day. #PAKvAFG pic.twitter.com/ufJGyPOWK6
— VinoD (@Viniii112) September 21, 2018
The 36-year-old came to bat in a tricky situation. He tried to rebuild the innings as wickets were falling from the other end. His intention was to take the game to the last over and then see how it plays out.
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He did not target the spinners and kept pushing for singles and doubles to keep the scoreboard moving. He finished the match with a boundary and with it his 42nd half-century.
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