Perth, Australia: Afghanistan hero Samiullah Shenwari, who cracked 96 against Scotland on Thursday to help his team to their first ever World Cup win, is a regular on the UAE domestic circuit.
Many UAE clubs to have played against him have faced the severity of his aggressive batting. In the Kerala Premier League, for example, he once hit an unbeaten 53 off just 15 balls for Trotters Wayanad Highlanders against Pathanamthitta Rajas.
On Wednesday it was Scotland who bore the brunt of Shenwari’s brilliance at the University Oval ground in Dunedin, when he scored 96 with five sixes and seven boundaries as Afghanistan recorded a nervy one-wicket victory.
He was forced to play carefully early in his innings before breaking the shackles, but he got out wanting to hit a six to get his century.
“We lost five wickets early and so I had the responsibility to stay there till the end,” Shenwari said.
“It was a poor shot. I was trying to get a six but I’m happy we have won the match. We are now looking forward to more wins and getting into the quarter-finals.
“When we won, we all shouted. It was very big shout and so the coach came and calmed us down, reminding us that it is just one match and there are still two more matches to win to get through.”
Neeraj Ramamoorthy, captain and owner of Trotters Wayanad, told Gulf News: “Samiullah has always been a match-winner for us. He has not only played in the KPL but also the Blenheim Cup. He has played in 50-odd matches for us.”
Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi, who also plays in the UAE, hailed Shenwari’s knock, saying: “The pressure was too high. The top order didn’t bat well. Four, five wickets went early but Sami [Shenwari] played very well. It was a good learning experience about handling the pressure and for our upcoming games.”
Shenwari, who plays alongside the UAE’s century hero Shaiman Anwar at Wayanad, added: “We are looking forward to the next match with Australia and we will give them a tough time. We will not give up easily.”
