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Aftab blooms at last

Al Musabbir Sadi
The Tigers failed to chase two moderate targets and lost the first two matches against Zimbabwe in the five-match one-day series. They won the next two matches but still, their batting was not up to the expectation due to lack of big hitters.
Coming to the crunch match, yesterday's series decider fifth game at the Bangabandhu National Stadium, one man changed the complexion of Bangladesh batting with his heroics and he was Aftab Ahmed.
The team management kept faith in Aftab, who struggled in the Test series and came up with scores of 1
and 15 in the first two games. The 20-year-old right-hander from Chittagong showed signs of improvement hitting 38 and 44 before coming of age in the final match with a career-best 81 notout.
No-one had doubts about his ability to fill up the much needed hard-hitter's place in the side but he failed to carry on after getting off to good starts.
But the little big man, who scored his maiden one-day half-century (67) against India in December 2004, had his sights on guiding the team to victory this time.
He came to the crease in the third over and launched an assault
against the Zimbabwean attack immediately. Having opened his account with a flicked four off Christopher Mpofu, Aftab lofted Tinashe Panyanagara for a straight six and nicked the same bowler to warm up for the biggest over of the day.
Elton Chigumubura, who did not bowl in the last two matches due to injury, came in as first change in the eighth over. He received a rude awaking as his first ball was hooked over fine-leg for a six as Bangladesh raced past 50.
"That was the shot I enjoyed most in the day," said Aftab after the match yesterday. Aftab then cut loose against the medium-pacer, cutting the next ball through point boundary before picking two runs at thirdman. The last three deliveries went for fours through midwicket, straight over the bowler's head and finally to point again when Aftab stepped out to steer the ball to end a 24-run over.
In no time at all, he was on 41 off 21 balls as Chigumbura as rested by Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu after the one-over nightmare.
"I never charged against any good ball today. I went after the bad ones. There was only one delivery in that over that was really good. I made it look like a loose ball," told Aftab who scored 52 runs with boundaries (ten fours and two sixes).
Aftab went on to complete his half-century gliding Mluleki Nkala for a single in the 12th over in just 33 balls, studded with seven fours and two sixes. It was the second quickest fifty by a Bangladeshi batsman after Mohammad Ashraful's 31-ball 50 against the same side in Harare last year.
While Aftab played very orthodox
punishing every loose delivery during a record second wicket stand of 150 with Mohammad Rafique, his partner slogged after a slow start. The two raced to their 100 partnership in just 65 balls.
In the end, Rafique's striking rate was better (72 off 66 balls) but Aftab looked like the man to go and notch the second hundred for the country after Mehrab Hossain against the same opponents in 1999.
But he had no regrets falling 19 runs short of the magical three-figure.
"My target was to stay at the wicket and help the team win, I was not after a century. Also I am more happy because this innings silenced my critics who kept saying: 'I cannot bat for long periods'," he said.
"This is the first time I have remained unbeaten in an innings. So, obviously, this is my most memorable innings so far," he said.
Aftab might have lost the man-of-the-match award to Rafique, who also took two wickets, but picked up awards for being the best fielder and for hitting most boundaries.