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Be it off searing pace deliveries by Brett Lee in Test matches in Australia or by Shoaib Akhtar in the 2003 ODI World Cup clash in Centurion, Tendulkar played the upper cut shot to perfection, with superb body balance by rocking back and then bringing his bat at the last moment to just guide the ball over the fielders and into the stands.
And now a video is doing the rounds in which former Pakistan captain Imran Khan played an upper cut off West Indies pacer Michael Holding.
Though the shot was not played as perfectly as Tendulkar used to play, it had the desired effect and went for a boundary to the third man fence where the fielder Andy Roberts failed to get his hands on the ball, leaving Holding fuming.
The shot is even lauded by cricketer-turned-commentator Tony Grieg on air as the ball landed just short of the boundary ropes and went for a one-bounce four.
The video clip is from the 13th match of Benson & Hedges World Series Cup played between Pakistan and West Indies at the Gabba in Brisbane on January 16, 1982.
Bowling first after winning the toss, West Indies restricted Pakistan to 177/9 in their 50 overs with Imran Khan scoring 31 runs off 30 balls with a six and 4 fours.
West Indies, chasing a revised target of 107 runs from 30 overs, won the match by just 1 wicket with 7 balls remaining.
One of the best all-rounders in the world in his playing days, Imran Khan was known for his fast bowling and aggressive batting and a key figure in Pakistan’s cricketing success in the 1980s and early 1990s.
Imran captained the Pakistan national team from 1982 to 1992, leading them to their first-ever Cricket World Cup victory in 1992. This win remains one of the most celebrated achievements in Pakistan’s sports history.
