Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya, two of the most destructive batsmen in the history of cricket, are set to dazzle fans at the Karp Group Hong Kong Cricket Sixes at the Kowloon Cricket Club from October 28-30. According to an official of the organizing committee, joining them in the All Stars line-up are some star cricketers from around the globe including one of the world’s fastest bowlers, Australia’s Shaun Tait, South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq and the ICC affiliate player of the year, Ryan ten Doeschate of The Netherlands.
Afridi and Jayasuriya have gone head-to-head with their batting exploits and are recognised as two of the most feared batsmen in the world. The duo are ideally suited to Hong Kong’s unique format with hitting sixes almost second nature for the pair.
Master blaster Jayasuriya held the record for the most sixes in one-day internationals – 270 – until Shahid Afridi, nicknamed “Boom Boom” for his aggressive batting style, overhauled it to stand top of the list with 289. The picturesque Kowloon Cricket Club will be tailor-made for the duo who will carry the hopes of the All Stars in the expanded 12-team tournament. “We are thrilled to have both Sanath Jayasuriya and Shahid Afridi playing in the same team. They are outstanding cricketers who can demolish any bowling attack and are more than capable bowlers themselves. Fans are in for a treat,” said Shahazada Saleem, president of the Hong Kong Cricket Association. Jayasuriya, who holds the record for the fastest 50 in One Day Internationals (ODIs) – off just 17 balls – is a more than capable bowler with his left arm spin having claimed 323 wickets. He is the only player to score more than 13,000 runs and take more than 300 wickets in ODIs. Afridi was the standout bowler at this year’s World Cup. The leg-spinner was the joint highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps. He also holds the record for scoring the fastest 100, off just 37 balls, another record he claimed from Jayasuriya who had scored the previous fastest ton off 48 balls.
The destructive pair will figure in a powerful All Stars team which also includes South African opener Herschelle Gibbs, Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, Australian spearhead Shaun Tait and Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands. Opposing batsmen will have to watch out for Shaun Tait and his thunderbolts. The Aussie is widely regarded as one of the world’s fastest bowlers. Tait once bowled a delivery recorded at 160.7 km – the fastest ball ever bowled on Australian soil. South African Gibbs is an elegant batsman who on his day can tear apart any attack. He became the first player to hit six sixes in one over, doing so against the Netherlands at the 2007 World Cup. Opponents at the KCC will also have to watch out for his brilliant fielding.
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