Shaheen Afridi Reaches 150 ODI Wickets
Shaheen Shah Afridi reached 150 ODI wickets on Sunday, becoming the fastest Pakistani fast bowler to the mark. The Pakistan captain struck early in the tri-series match against England at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, removing opener Tom Banton to claim his 150th ODI wicket.
The 26-year-old left-arm pacer reached the landmark in his 80th ODI. That made him the second-fastest Pakistani bowler overall to 150 wickets, behind former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who got there in 78 matches.
Shaheen Afridi 150 ODI Wickets Puts Him Ahead of Pace Greats
Shaheen moved past two of the finest fast bowlers Pakistan has produced. Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar both needed 91 matches to reach 150 ODI wickets. Saeed Ajmal took 93 matches, while Umar Gul needed 104.
The milestone underlined Shaheen’s value to Pakistan’s bowling attack. He leads the side in the ongoing tri-series, and he has carried the new-ball burden for Pakistan across formats in recent seasons.
Pakistan won the toss in Lahore and chose to bowl first. Shaheen said the side had added an extra spinner for the contest, with Shadab Khan returning after missing the first two matches of the series. Razaullah made his ODI debut in place of Naseem Shah, who dislocated a finger during the warm-up, while Faheem Ashraf made way.
Tri-Series Final Place at Stake in Lahore
The match carried high stakes for both sides. Pakistan had won their first two matches of the tri-series, beating Sri Lanka by 37 runs and England by 87 runs in Rawalpindi. Another win would seal a place in the final on October 31.
England, by contrast, had lost both of their opening games. They arrived in Lahore after a dramatic two-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka, in which they failed to defend a total of 429 for four in Rawalpindi.
Shaheen had set his side a clear target before the match. He said Pakistan would aim to restrict England to around 250 to 260 runs rather than worry about their opponents’ ability to post huge totals. Pakistan had defended totals of 305 and 302 in their first two matches despite conditions that favoured batters in Rawalpindi.
The tri-series has already brought Pakistan a rankings gain. After the wins over Sri Lanka and England, Pakistan moved up to fourth place in the ICC men’s ODI team rankings with 103 rating points, ahead of Australia. India lead the table, followed by New Zealand in second and South Africa in third.
Squad Changes Behind the Milestone Match
The milestone match also saw changes to Pakistan’s wider squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board released left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim from the tri-series squad and added Maaz Sadaqat as cover, a move aimed at improving the balance of the side for the Lahore leg.
Shaheen also backed his out-of-form batters before the match. He said the team would not drop Saim Ayub or Fakhar Zaman, and he pointed out that Pakistan were gaining from Saim’s bowling even while his batting form stayed lean.
England made two changes of their own. Debutant Henry Crocombe replaced Josh Tongue, while Adil Rashid continued to sit out the series.
Why does the 150-wicket mark matter?
The mark places Shaheen among the quickest bowlers in Pakistan’s history. Only Saqlain Mushtaq reached it sooner, and every other name ahead of him on the list took at least 91 matches.
How many matches did Shaheen need?
Shaheen reached 150 ODI wickets in his 80th match. That is two matches slower than Saqlain Mushtaq, but 11 matches quicker than Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar.
What happens next in the tri-series?
Pakistan need one more win to reach the October 31 final. Sri Lanka have won one of their two matches, while England must win their remaining games to stay alive.
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