Chris Gayle smashed a century and Shahid Afridi rediscovered his boom with the bat as the veteran destroyers powered the West Indies and Pakistan to victories at the World Twenty20 Wednesday.
Gayle struck 11 sixes at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium in a 47-ball century as the West Indies comfortably chased down England’s total of 182 for six with 11 balls remaining in their tournament opener.
Afridi starred with bat and ball as he skippered Pakistan to a comprehensive 55-run victory against Bangladesh in Kolkata, drawing a line under his team’s troubled build-up.
Both men had faced some hostile headlines in recent weeks and they revelled in their triumphs, with Gayle saying he had been on a mission to entertain his team-mate Sulieman Benn.
AFP