PAK vs SL: "Abdullah Shafique Is What Babar Azam Dreams Of" - Twitter Reacts As Youngster Hits Splendid Hundred In World Cup
Published - 10 Oct 2023, 11:45 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 09:57 AM
The 23-year-old Pakistan National Cricket Team top-order batsman Abdullah Shafique was hailed by fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) for his fantastic knock in the eighth match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against Sri Lanka National Cricket Team at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad on Tuesday, October 10.
Abdullah Shafique got the opportunity to play for Pakistan in the World Cup 2023 due to the poor form of the veteran batter Fakhar Zaman. Imam-ul-Haq and Fakhar Zaman are the first-choice openers for Pakistan and both of them are out-of-form with the latter not scoring big runs for a long period of time.
Fakhar Zaman bagged a failure in Pakistan’s World Cup opener against the Netherlands as he scored just 12 runs off 15 balls, before getting cleaned up. The Pakistan team management decided to drop Fakhar from the playing XI for the match against Sri Lanka and Abdullah Shafique replaced him in the playing XI.
Chasing a mammoth 345-run target in the match, Pakistan were off to a poor start as Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam got out for low scores. However, Abdullah Shafique showed great temperament and built a terrific 176-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan to push the Lankan Team on the back foot.
He played attacking cricket and his strike rate was over 100 for most part of his innings. The youngster kept batting brilliantly and reached the three-figure mark on his World Cup debut by hitting a brilliant four. He became the first Pakistani player to score a century on World Cup debut with the previous best score for Pakistan being 82 by Mohsin Khan.
Abdullah Shafique also became the second youngest Pakistan batter after Imam-ul-Haq to hit a hundred in the World Cup at the age of 23 years and 324 days. Something special was needed to dismiss him and Hemantha did exactly that as he grabbed an absolute blinder. Shafique was back in the dugout after scoring 113 runs off 103 balls, with 10 fours and 3 sixes.
Twitter Reacts To Abdullah Shafique’s Sensational Ton:
Impressive batting @imabd28 ?? Pakistan needed someone to go big today.#PakvSL #CWC23
— Robin Aiyuda Uthappa (@robbieuthappa) October 10, 2023
Take a bow Abdullah!! ?
Maiden ODI ? and that too on a World Cup debut. Love his focus and presence of mind while out at the crease. Keep going and win this game for us ??#PAKvSL @imabd28 pic.twitter.com/vzFAceLbIK
— Wahab Riaz (@WahabViki) October 10, 2023
Abdullah Shafique looked composed from the first ball. Brilliant inning this from him. Handled the World Cup pressure with ease. #PAKvsSL
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) October 10, 2023
ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE BECOMES THE FIRST PAKISTAN BATTER TO SCORE A HUNDRED IN WORLD CUP IN INDIA….!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/IoaC4wyulN
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) October 10, 2023
Abdullah the courageous ? in a WC debut. ?? #PAKvSL
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) October 10, 2023
If a first ODI/List A/World Cup century cannot make Abdullah Shafique smile, what will?
— Devarchit (@Devarchit) October 10, 2023
Shafique ne helmet nahi utara 100 ke baad. Ahmad Shahzad ne bhi Aisa hi Kiya tha 2014 Asia Cup mein Bangladesh ke against. Just got reminded smhw
— Prithvi (@Puneite_) October 10, 2023
A very appreciable knock by Abdulla Shafique for Pakistan. It’s raining ?‘s this #CWC23. #PAKvsSL
— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) October 10, 2023
Brilliant batting @imabd28 a very good ?…hope you carry on this momentum till the end of game.great partnership between Abdullah shafiq & @iMRizwanPak ??????good job guys #PAKvsSL
— Kamran Akmal (@KamiAkmal23) October 10, 2023
Abdullah Shafique now has a hundred on T20 debut. On first-class debut. And on World Cup debut. NEVER DOUBT THIS BOY??? #PAKvSL
— Haroon (@hazharoon) October 10, 2023
That’s a special 100 by a very special player .
Well done ?? Abdullah ?? #PAKvsAUS #WorldCup2023— Muhammad Wasim (@MuhammadWasim77) October 10, 2023
? on World Cup debut ✨
This is some achievement by talented Abdullah Shafiq against Srilanka on Indian soil Masha'Allah#PAKvSL #WorldCup2023 pic.twitter.com/03SgLshqZo— Shahzaib Ali ?? (@DSBcricket) October 10, 2023
what a talent this abdullah shafique is, hope he gets much deserved rest of two weeks after this incredible innings
— vishal dayama (@VishalDayama) October 10, 2023
Great knock that from Shafique. Batted with so much ease man.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) October 10, 2023
A classy hundred from an excellent batter. Abdullah Shafique with his first century in ODIs #PAKvSL #CWC23 pic.twitter.com/Gr3zK2nWEB
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) October 10, 2023
Abdullah Shafique has really played some gems in his international career so far. Today is another one such knock
— Kaushik Kashyap (@CricKaushik_) October 10, 2023
Kamaal hai, why did Pakistan not play Abdullah Shafique before. He looks a brilliant player
Pakistan winning from here. #PAKvsSL #ICCCricketWorldCup
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 10, 2023
In the tough circumstances Pak found themselves in, fabulous century by Abdullah Shafique. Along with Rizwan has pulled his team out of stiff crisis and created path for an unlikely win. Sri Lanka need bot just a breakthru, but a few quick wickets to turn things around
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) October 10, 2023
Class ?? https://t.co/kqpnEONmyJ
— Saim Ayub (@SaimAyub7) October 10, 2023
Maiden ODI and Worldcup Century ? for Abdullah Shafique!!?✨ Brilliant Batting ??#PAKvSL #worldcup2023 pic.twitter.com/qqPtJlhfG9
— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) October 10, 2023
Abdullah Shafique is what Babar Azam dreams of!#PAKvsSL #SLvsPAK #BabarAzam? pic.twitter.com/4bbRArapk0
— Utsav ? (@utsav__45) October 10, 2023
Abdullah Shafique is some player.
Looks better than Babar Azam #PAKvsSL pic.twitter.com/gvqehngLE8
— Classic Mojito (@classic_mojito) October 10, 2023
Tagged:
Abdullah Shafique ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 ICC World Cup 2023 PAK vs SL 2023 Pakistan National Cricket Team Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 2023