Book Title: Brave Hearts
Author(s): Kumarpal Desai
Publisher: Eye Care Foundation

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Page 157
________________ The Brave Hearts had scored 41 runs only. The wickets of Sandeep Patil and Ravi Shastri were taken by Azim in his fifteenth and sixteenth overs respectively. Neither of these two batsmen from Mumbai had scored a run. Thus Azim Hafeez pocketed four important Indian wickets in a spell of only 36 balls. Kapil Dev was adjudged LBW in Hafeez's bowling when he had scored only three runs. This was followed by the wickets of Roger Binny and Chetan Sharma. Thus, in a devastating spell twelve overs and four balls, Azim Hafeez had secured 6 top Indian wickets by conceding only 20 runs. In the second innings too, Azim took one Indian wicket and put up 31 runs in the ninth wicket partnership with Zaheer Abbas in which Azeem's contribution was of 17 runs not out. He was adjudged the 'Man of the Match' in this Test. He succeeded not only in the game of cricket, but also in the game of life. · Born in Zelam, Punjab, Azim Hafeez was born with a physical deformity. He has only a thumb in the palm of his right hand. Three fingers have been missing completely while the small finger is only a ring size joint. Yet Azeem does not consider this as any kind of disability and therefore plays the game unmindful of it. He is not only a good left-hand bowler but also a batsman. He had once scored 70 runs in an intercollegiate cricket competition. As a fielder, he is positioned at 'deep' near the boundary. He says that his right hand palm is so strong that it helps him fully in holding a catch with his left hand However, while trying to sieze a ball coming towards his right side, he has to move his left hand a little more. He holds a fairly good record of catching. While batting, he wears special type of gloves. Azeem is suffering from yet another disability. His right hand is shorter by three inches than his left hand. That is why he has to exert more while bowling with his left hand. Despite all this, he does not suffer from any inferiority complex, nor 156

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