Yuvraj can have the cake and eat it too

Man of the Tournament Award: Afridi is the leading contender, but Indian in hot pursuit

It’s been a rather strange tournament. Two teams that were never expected to go beyond the Super Eights have managed to bash everyone out of their way. Pakistan, who were unfamiliar with the rules of the tournament, are in final and so are India, whose unpredictable style of cricket has been strangely consistent. But the biggest surprise of them all in this inaugural tournament is Shahid Afridi.

In a game that suits his blazing bat, though the Pathan is yet to rake up the big scores, he remains the highest wicket-taker of this Twenty20 World Cup. Surprisingly, the longest six hit has come from his little-known teammate, Misbah-ul Haq until Yuvraj bettered it with 119-metre — a difference of 8 metres — six that the left-hander hit last night.

In the present circumstances, both Afridi and Yuvraj will be crucial to the fortunes of their respective sides. Just as they dabble for the coveted Player of the Tournament award, Afridi currently heads the table with seven points and Yuvraj, who is just adrift of a point of the Pakistani star, has a realistic chance of gunning for the award.

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Incidentally, the vice-captain is the lone Indian in the Top 10 list which has the names of Misbah and Younis Khan as well with five points each.

Afridi is the joint hghest wicket-taker with Austrlaian Stuart Clark — with 12 victims — and has 91 runs to his credit too. The points are creedited after every match on a 3-2-1 basis — three points for the best performer, two for the second best and one for the third best effort.

If more than one player is tied with the same number of points, then the player with maximum number of man of the match awards gets it. Yuvraj has two man of the match awards while Afridi, Younis and Misbah has just one each. And the race for the Player of the Tournament award begins from here.

Top 10 contenders

7 points: Shahid Afridi

6 points: Stuart Clark, Sanath Jayasuriya, Morne Morkel and Yuvraj Singh

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5 points: Mathew Hayden, Brett Lee, Criag McMillan, Misbah-ul Haq and Younis Khan