There have been many brave captain's innings in the history of test cricket, which have been made in the face of adversity and/or likely defeat.
Who can forget Michael Atherton's monumental rearguard of 185 not out as England miraculously escaped defeat in Johannesburg in 1995? Those with slightly longer memories will remember Graham Gooch batting through the innings for an undefeated 154 to set up an unlikely win against West Indies at Headingley in 1991.
Or how about Ricky Ponting's 156 to help save the Old Trafford test in the infamous 2005 Ashes series? Even Chris Gayle has an uncharacteristic gem on his CV after he carried his bat at Adelaide last year for 165. Naturally, the great Donald Bradman has to trump the lot, scoring hundreds in each of the last three tests (270 at Melbourne in the third test, 212 at Adelaide in the fourth and 169 at Melbourne in the fifth) of the 1936/37 Ashes series as Australia came back from two-nil down to win the series against Gubby Allen's England.
So Shahid Afridi had plenty of inspiration when he walked to the wicket yesterday with his side in disarray at 83 for five. Perhaps unsurprisingly he went for a different approach - death or glory. In what was more akin to a Japanese World War II squadron leader showing his kamikaze boys how to do it, Afridi came out with all guns blazing as he ripped into Shane Watson's trundlers. This was the Charge of the Boom Boom Brigade.
Unfortunately for Afridi, his side and the stunned but appreciative Lord's crowd, the Pakistan captain used up all his ammunition in 13 fiery minutes and went for one big hit too many. Even worse was that this gave the childish Watson the opportunity to give Afridi a verbal send off. 31 off 15 balls was all Afridi had to take back to his boys in the changing room.
Many will criticise Afridi for his approach, but at least no one can accuse him of captaincy changing his game. It wasn't a responsible innings. It clearly didn't set his young wards watching on the Lord's balcony the right example. But for a (very) short time, Pakistan and its supporters believed, and just like Andy Dufresne believed in the Shawshank Redemption, what are we without hope?
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