Home
On Saturday, November 4, Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi set an unwanted record for his country in the history of the ODI World Cup. The left-arm pacer had a tough day during the match against Kane Williamson's New Zealand at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
The 23-year-old Shaheen ended up with figures of 10-0-90-0, surpassing Haris Rauf's earlier record in the same match. Rauf recorded figures of 10-0-85-1, which surpassed Hasan Ali's previous record of 10-0-84-1 against Virat Kohli's India during the 2019 World Cup at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Shaheen's unfortunate record was confirmed when Mitchell Santner hit him for a huge six in the final over of the New Zealand innings. During the match, Shaheen conceded 11 fours and two sixes, leading to what has to arguably be the worst day of his cricketing career.
Despite this setback, the Khyber Agency-born Shaheen had recent achievements to celebrate. In a match against Shakib Al Hasan's Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, he became the fastest pacer to reach 100 wickets in ODIs, surpassing Mitchell Starc's record. He achieved this milestone by dismissing Tanzid Hasan Tamim in his very first over of the match.
During that game, his dismissal of Mahmudullah Riyad was likened to Wasim Akram's dismissal of Allan Lamb in the 1992 World Cup. Furthermore, the following day, he climbed seven places to claim the top spot in the rankings for ODI bowlers.
In the World Cup 2023, Shaheen has played eight matches, taking 16 wickets with a five-wicket haul against Australia and an economy rate of 5.76, showcasing his efforts and contributions to the team.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, November 1, Shaheen rose to the top spot in the ODI bowlers' rankings, surpassing Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood with 673 rating points. His remarkable performance in the 2023 World Cup was instrumental in this achievement, as he leapt seven places to claim the coveted position.
Notably, Shaheen became the third-fastest bowler, following Rashid Khan and Sandeep Lamichhane, to achieve the milestone of 100 wickets in the 50-over format. Prior to this, he had already become the only Pakistani fast bowler to secure multiple five-wicket hauls in World Cups. Despite his exceptional performance, his five-wicket haul against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore could not prevent a defeat for his team.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
