Pakistan Speedster Shatters World Record to Achieve Rare Milestone in ODIs

Pakistan pacer Shaheen Afridi has made history in the first ODI against the West Indies in Trinidad. Afridi, one of the best bowlers in Pakistan, was the star with the ball. He bowled 8 overs and took 4 wickets. He dismissed Brandon King early. Later, he got the big wicket of Shai Hope. Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph also fell to his pace and swing. Naseem Shah supported him well, taking 3 wickets and keeping the West Indies batters on the back foot.

Shaheen Afridi's brilliant 4-wicket haul helped Pakistan seal a comfortable win and also brought him a special achievement. His spell saw him shatter the world record and secure a rare milestone in ODI cricket.

New Shaheen Afridi World Record in Pakistan’s Win Over West Indies

This match was special for Shaheen Afridi. With these 4 wickets, his total ODI wickets tally reached 131. He achieved this milestone in only 65 matches. As per the new Shaheen Afridi world record, he has now taken the most wickets in the history of ODI cricket after 65 games. He broke the previous record of Afghan spinner Rashid Khan, who had 128 wickets at the same stage of his career.

It is a proud moment for the left-arm pacer and for Pakistan cricket. His record shows his consistency and match-winning ability in the limited-overs format.

WI vs PAK 1st ODI: Pakistan Take Early Series Lead

In the match, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and chose to bowl first. The West Indies made a decent start as opener Evin Lewis scored a solid fifty. Captain Shai Hope also added a half-century along with the middle-order batter Roston Chase, who later joined the party with another fifty. However, none of them could turn those knocks into a big century as Pakistan’s bowlers kept the pressure on. The West Indies were eventually restricted to 280 runs.

Chasing 281, Pakistan’s top order struggled. They lost a couple of early wickets. The West Indies pacers bowled with good pace and accuracy. Babar Azam, one of the best ODI batters in the world, tried to steady the innings. Captain Mohammad Rizwan also played a key role in calming things down. The pair added some valuable runs before Babar was dismissed at 47. When Pakistan lost their fifth wicket, the match looked evenly balanced. That is when debutant Hasan Nawaz and all-rounder Hussain Talat took charge. The two batters added 104 runs for the sixth wicket. It was a match-winning partnership. Nawaz played with great maturity for someone making his debut. Talat showed confidence and timing in his strokes.
In the end, Pakistan chased down the target with ease in 48.5 overs. Nawaz remained unbeaten and was named the Player of the Match. Talking about the game in the post-match presentation ceremony, the debutant praised his teammates after the win. “At the start, the spinners were great, but once the dew came in, it got easier,” he said. West Indies captain Shai Hope admitted his team needed more runs. “Maybe we could’ve got more runs. Credit to our bowlers for fighting at the end. We needed to score more in the middle overs. We are still one step behind,” Hope said.
A win in the WI vs PAK 1st ODI gave Pakistan a 1–0 lead in the series. The next match on August 10 in Trinidad will be crucial for the West Indies if they want to stay in the series. Pakistan, on the other hand, will be looking to continue their winning momentum.