Shaheen Afridi becomes fastest pacer to 100 ODI wickets: Stats
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi has scripted history by becoming the fastest pacer to accomplish 100 wickets in ODI cricket. He reached this milestone with his first wicket against Bangladesh in Match 31 of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in Kolkata. Afridi took just 51 games to get the feat. He has truly been a menace in the format. Here is more.
Afridi goes past Starc
Shaheen, who made his ODI debut in 2018, has been a wicket-taking machine in the format. As mentioned, he needed just 51 games to complete a century of ODI wickets. The left-arm speedster has overtaken Australia's Mitchell Starc, who took 52 matches to reach the milestone. Former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq was the previous fastest Pakistan bowler to get the feat (53 matches).
Afridi only behind these names
Overall, Shaheen is the third-fastest bowler to accomplish 100 ODI wickets. He is now only behind Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who took 42 and 44 matches, respectively. Starc has now slipped down to the fourth place.
Fourth-best bowling average for Pakistan
Overall, Shaheen became the 21st bowler to accomplish a century of ODI wickets for Pakistan. The pace merchant owns the fourth-best bowling average (23-plus) for Pakistan (minimum 70 wickets). He is only behind Mushtaq (21.78), Saeed Ajmal (22.72), and Wasim Akram (23.52). Meanwhile, Shaheen boasts six four-wicket hauls and three fifers in the format (BBI: 6/35). His economy rate is just under 5.5.
Here are his WC numbers
Playing his 12th World Cup match, Shaheen has 31 scalps in the tournament, averaging under 18. The tally includes two fifers and a four-wicket haul. Former all-rounder Shahid Afridi is the only other Pakistan bowler with two WC fifers. With over 10 wickets, the speedster is Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in the ongoing event. He claimed a fifer in his recent outing against Australia.
