Pakistan captain Shaheen Afridi etched his name into the record books on Sunday by becoming the quickest fast bowler from his country to complete 150 wickets in the fifty-over format. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer reached the milestone during the second match of the ongoing ODI tri-series against England at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Coming into the fixture needing just a single scalp, Shaheen struck in the very first over of the innings by dismissing in-form England opener Tom Banton. He followed up that historic breakthrough by claiming the prized wicket of experienced batsman Joe Root, further denting the English top order.
Milestone Breakdown
- Shaheen Afridi reached the 150-wicket milestone in just his 80th ODI appearance.
- He surpassed the previous national record for fast bowlers held jointly by legends Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, who both required 91 matches.
- Globally, Shaheen is now the joint fourth-fastest player to achieve 150 ODI wickets, sharing the mark with India’s Mohammed Shami and Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan.
- Nepal spinner Sandeep Lamichhane remains the fastest overall to reach the milestone, having achieved it in 73 ODIs.
Context and Team Changes
The fixture carried broader significance as both teams took to the field wearing pink jerseys to raise awareness for breast cancer. Pakistan made a couple of tactical changes to their playing lineup for the encounter, welcoming back Shadab Khan while handing an ODI debut to Razaullah. Fast bowler Naseem Shah missed out on selection after sustaining a finger dislocation during the pre-match warm-up sessions.
Having secured victories in their opening fixtures against Sri Lanka and subsequently against England, the hosts are firmly focused on maintaining their winning momentum to claim a spot in the tri-series final. Shaheen’s milestone performance serves as a massive boost for the squad as they continue their preparations for upcoming international assignments.
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