NEW DELHI: "I am 84kg and just 5ft 5" tall. And I'm still a modern-day cricketer." In an increasingly homogenised world of contemporary cricket where it is near-impossible to tell one cricketer from another in terms of fitness and athleticism, there is 'MS'. This one cannot be more different than the more famous namesake that suffixes with 'Dhoni'.
Afghanistan
wicketkeeper-opener Mohammad Shahzad, the focus of all eyes at the
Ferozeshah Kotla
on Tuesday, is the other MS who has managed to take the
World T20
by storm.
In today's game, he looks like an aberration on the field much like Sri Lanka's veteran spinner Rangana Herath. Afghanistan coach Inzamam-ul Haq was never the epitome of fitness himself, so definitely doesn't mind Shahzad's 'looks' as long as his long willow keeps flaying rival attacks as it did against South Africa the other day .
"Fitness-wise I don't feel any problems," he laughed when TOI asked him the question of fitness and... movement. "I missed the 50-over World Cup games because of a calf injury, not because of any other issue," he added.
His portly figure belies his success in T20 cricket. His international record in this format is a near-phenomenal 1339 runs in 46 T20Is at a strike-rate of 137. The ICC T20 rankings place him at No. 8 higher than the likes of Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and even his idol Dhoni.
It is possible that his heavy frame helps his heavy-hitting. Shahzad scored 44 off just 19 balls and doesn't intend to change that style when his side takes on England at the Kotla on Wednesday. "I just have my own style, we have a lot of T20 cricket back home so this is how I play naturally .I don't intend to change this style," he said.
Shahzad's approach re minds one of Marvel comic book hero Hulk's philosophy "Hulk, Smash!" Asked how he approaches the batting while opening, Shahzad says, "The plan is simple. Just wait for the loose delivery and smash it. I don't really care who the bowler is."
There's more to Shahzad than just the impressive scores and girth. He hails from Nangrahar, a fertile valley around Jalalabad. His family was displaced after the Soviet war, forcing them to spend some time in a refugee camp near the Khyber Pass, close to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
"A lot of the Afghanistan players have come up by playing cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan," revealed the 28-year-old Shahzad, "I was one of them, having played my cricket at a camp near Peshawar. I have subsequently played a lot of cricket in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in various T20 tournaments." Shahzad's face brightens up when mention of the original MS crops up. "I have always loved and admired Dhoni as a fan. I always try to emulate him at the crease. Like my batting, that is something which is not likely to change!"
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