Misbah smashes 6 sixes in 6 balls in Hong Kong T20
Blitz:
Pakistan Test Captain Misbah-ul-Haq gave a visual
treat to the fans in the 2017 Hong Kong T20 Blitz as he hit six sixes in six
consecutive balls for Hong Kong Island United against Hung Hon JD Jaguars at
the Mission Road Cricket Ground in Mong Kok.
The 42-year-old cricketer, who could be forced to retire after Pakistan’s tour of West Indies later this
month, played his typical Misbah innings as he played the second fiddle for a
majority of the innings before taking the centre stage in the last two overs.
Off the last seven balls he faced, he managed to hit six sixes and one four,
taking his score to 82 not out off just 37 balls.
His late blitz took his team to 216/6 in 20 overs, a par
total in the tournament as the boundaries are relatively small when compared to
the other grounds in the world. In return, the Jaguars were in the hunt as
opener Nizakat Khan and Guyana's Jonathan Foo took on the attack to the
opposition. But, they were not complemented well by their teammates as they
were restricted for just 183/8 in their 20 overs. Foo tried his best with a
47-ball 77 with four fours and six sixes.
For a team historically known for their flamboyantly uninhibited
brand of cricket, Misbah-ul-Haq's restrained, risk-averse mode of batting has
perennially struggled to sit well the Pakistani fans. For the larger part of
his career, Misbah's defensive strokeplay has given rise to imaginative
witticisms - often snide - with his style of batting becoming synonymous with
what is known as "tuk tuk" cricket in Pakistan.
While his captaincy and retirement plans continue to be a constant subject of speculation, the third fixture of the
Hong Kong T20 Blitz saw him produce a most dramatic antithesis to his age and
recent form.
Misbah, the Hong Kong Island United captain, waltzed six consecutive sixes
across the last two overs of the innings, ending with a jaw-dropping 37-ball
82. His knock, studded with four fours and seven sixes, set up his team's 33-run win against Hung
Hom Jaguars.
Batting on 42 - a number he has been reminded of more frequently in the
last few months than ever before - Misbah swung a full toss from compatriot
Imran Arif over deep square leg on the fifth ball of the 19th over. A couple of
understated taps on the pitch, followed by a brief chat with the non-striker
Saeed Ajmal, preceded the second delivery.
Misbah cleared his front leg to dispatch the next delivery - on length and
on middle and leg - over the long-on boundary.
Ajmal's single off the first ball of the final over meant that Misbah
would have the remaining five balls to lay claim to the record of six straight
sixes that has been previously achieved by Yuvraj Singh, Herschelle Gibbs,
Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Jordan Clark and, most recently, Alex Hales.
Having brought up his half-century off 32 balls, Misbah clobbered left-arm
quick Ashley Caddy for four more sixes, the fourth one finding its way out of
the main stand. To top those, he ended the over with a four to take the over's
tally to 29.
The second-fastest century in Tests, and now six consecutive sixes.
"Tuk tuk", who?
References
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