'It is a proud, unforgettable moment for me. It is a very enjoyable moment for me that my name is now linked to so many big names of the game, who are really legends of the game. I am thankful to Almighty Allah for helping me score the 12-ball fifty,' Hazratullah Zazai said
Sharjah: Young Afghanistan batsman Hazratullah Zazai smashed his way into the record books as he blasted six sixes in an over in an Afghanistan Premier League (APL) match here on Sunday. However, despite his record-equalling half century, Kabul Zwanan lost to Balkh Legends by 21 runs.
The 20-year-old left-hander Zazai joined an elite list of batsmen who have hit six sixes in an over in competitive cricket. Previously, it was achieved by Garry Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh and Ross Whiteley.
Zazai raced to fifty in just 12 balls, becoming the joint-fastest to the feat in T20 cricket, with Yuvraj and Chris Gayle.
The bowler who was at the receiving end of Zazai was left-arm orthodox spinner Abdullah Mazari. He went for 37 runs in the fourth over of the innings, including a wide.
Despite Zazai's 17-ball 62, Kabul could not chase down 245. Kabul were restricted to 223/7.
"It is a proud, unforgettable moment for me. It is a very enjoyable moment for me that my name is now linked to so many big names of the game, who are really legends of the game. I am thankful to Almighty Allah for helping me score the 12-ball fifty," Zazai said.
He said it was a surreal moment to achieve the record in the front of his "idol" Gayle, who was in the opposition team.
"I want to keep enjoying my cricket always and will keep striving towards improving my cricket further. It was a surreal moment for me to perform in front of my idol (Chris Gayle). I was just trying to play my natural game and did not in any way think of outshining anyone," he added.
Earlier, Gayle had hit a whirlwind 80 off 48 with two fours and 10 sixes. Thanks to his knock, Balkh posted 244/6 in 20 overs.
Brief scores: Balkh Legends 244/6 in 20 overs (Chris Gayle 80, Dilshan Munaweera 46, Darwish Rasooli 50, Mohammad Nabi 37; Fareed Ahmad 2/48) beat Kabul Zwanan 223/7 in 20 overs (Hazratullah Zazai 62, Luke Ronchi 47, Shahidullah 40; Mohammad Nabi 1/27, Ben Laughlin 3/37, Qais Ahmed 1/27) by 21 runs.
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