Player of the day - Faisal Iqbal
A fighting knock in a lost cause is not always recognised
Anand Vasu
24-Jan-2000
Fighting a lost cause
A fighting knock in a lost cause is not always recognised. But
when a young lad saunters into the playing arena with a swagger
of confidence and plays an innings that takes his team close to
victory in the semi-finals of a World Cup, one cannot help but
sit up and take notice. The youngster who caught the eye in
today's tense clash was Faisal Iqbal. Iqbal's 53 off 71 balls
displayed the same poise that one is used to seeing in his uncle
- Javed Miandad. His knock included five well placed boundaries
and one crisply hit six. His innings gave Pakistan a platform on
which they could go after the Sri Lankan target. However, at the
end of the day, they simply did not have the firepower.
Iqbal's innings will stand out for the way he made his runs.
Right from the moment he walked in, to the way he took strike and
finally the way he was dismissed. Attempting to get on with the
scoring, Iqbal hoicked a delivery to deep square leg, where
Ganegama pulled of a blinder of a catch running along the
boundary and plucking the ball out of the air just inches before
the ropes. The attitude that Iqbal displayed suggests that he is
destined for bigger things.