Shaheen Shah Afridi made a big mark in the first ODI against West Indies at Tarouba, not just with his match-winning spell, but also in the record books. His 4/51 in the opening game of the three-match series helped Pakistan bowl out the hosts for 280, and in the process, he overtook Mohammed Shami to claim the best strike rate in men’s ODIs (minimum 100 wickets) among bowlers from Full Member nations. Shaheen’s strike rate now stands at 25.4, bettering Shami’s 25.8, as per Wisden.
Shaheen’s numbers continue to underline his impact. His 131 wickets are the most by any bowler after their first 65 ODIs, he is also the only one in history to average more than two wickets per match at this stage. The previous best, held jointly by Australia’s Mitchell Starc and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, with 129 wickets.
With his current tally, Shaheen is set to retain the record after 66 matches as well. To take the 67-match mark, he will need to go past Starc’s record of 133 wickets.
Opting to field after winning the toss, Pakistan struck early through Shaheen, with support from Naseem Shah (3/55). For West Indies, Evin Lewis (60), Shai Hope (55), and Roston Chase (53) all registered fifties, but the home side couldn’t build a commanding total.
In reply, Pakistan’s chase had its nervous moments. Babar Azam made 47 and Mohammad Rizwan 53, but at 180/5, the game was still open. That’s when Hasan Nawaz made a brilliant 63 off 54 balls and Hussain Talat scored 41 off 37 balls and joined forces to guide the visitors home with five wickets and seven balls to spare. Both of them stitched an unbeaten 104 runs partnership. (ANI)
