Ace seamer Shaheen Afridi etched his name in the history books by becoming the first Pakistan bowler to take 100 wickets in every format of international cricket.
Shaheen Achieves Rare Milestone in Opening T20I
In the first innings of the opening T20I against South Africa in Durban on Tuesday night, Shaheen achieved the remarkable feat by claiming three wickets. He struck early in the powerplay, then in the middle overs, and finally towards the end to complete his three-wicket haul, reaching 100 T20I wickets in the process.
– 100* wickets in T20I.
– 112 wickets in ODI.
– 116 wickets in Tests.
SHAHEEN SHAH AFRIDI BECOMES THE FIRST PAKISTAN BOWLER TO COMPLETE 100 WICKETS IN ALL-FORMATS. ⚡ pic.twitter.com/TuB98Xdd64---Advertisement---— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) December 10, 2024
Record-Breaking Tally Across All Formats
With his three-wicket haul, Shaheen became the first Pakistan bowler to achieve 100 wickets in each format. Apart from T20Is, the 24-year-old left-arm seamer has 112 wickets in ODIs and 116 in Test cricket, cementing his place as one of Pakistan’s premier fast bowlers.
Also Read: Twitter Talks: Pakistan’s Stagnant Chase Costs Them 11-Run Defeat To South Africa
Fastest to 100 T20I Wickets After Haris Rauf
Shaheen reached his 100th T20I wicket in just 74 matches, becoming the second-fastest Pakistani bowler to achieve this milestone, after Haris Rauf, who reached the figure in 71 T20Is. This achievement also made Shaheen the youngest bowler to reach 100 wickets in T20I cricket.
Joining an Elite Group of Bowlers
With his historic achievement, Shaheen joins the ranks of New Zealand’s Tim Southee, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, and Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, all of whom have taken 100 wickets in T20Is.
Shaheen’s Key Wickets in the Match
In the match, Shaheen made an immediate impact, cleaning up Rassie van der Dussen for a golden duck with a perfectly executed yorker. He then dismissed in-form David Miller before the South African could reach his century and later trapped Nqabayomzi Peter in front to complete his 100th T20I wicket.
Shaheen’s Heroics in Vain as Pakistan Falls Short
Shaheen’s brilliant bowling performance ended with figures of 3/22 in his four-over spell, but despite his heroics, Pakistan fell short by 11 runs while chasing a challenging target of 184. Captain Mohammad Rizwan top-scored with 74 runs, but his effort wasn’t enough to secure victory as Pakistan suffered a narrow defeat.
