Shaheen Afridi Sets New Records as Pakistan's Leading T20I Wicket-Taker

Shaheen Afridi's Remarkable Achievement

In a significant milestone, Pakistan's fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has surpassed Haris Rauf to become the leading wicket-taker for his team in T20I cricket. Additionally, he has moved ahead of former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, now ranking as the ninth-highest wicket-taker in Pakistan's international cricket history. This achievement came during a match against England in the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup held in Pallekele, where Afridi recorded impressive bowling figures of 4 wickets for 30 runs in his four overs.

Shaheen's Impressive Bowling Stats

Shaheen has played 102 T20I matches, claiming 135 wickets with an average of 21.15, including a personal best of 4/22 and four instances of taking four wickets in a match. In comparison, Rauf has 133 wickets from 94 matches, averaging 21.10, with his best figures being 4/18 and five four-wicket hauls. Overall, in 206 international matches, Afridi has amassed 391 wickets at an average of 24.59, featuring seven five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket haul, with his best bowling figures being 6/35. He is now just nine wickets shy of reaching the 400 mark.

Match Summary: England vs Pakistan

In the match, Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan was a standout performer, scoring 63 runs off 45 balls, supported by contributions from Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman (25 runs off 16 balls), and Shadab Khan (23 runs off 11 balls), leading Pakistan to a total of 164/9. England's bowlers, including Liam Dawson (3/24) and Jofra Archer (2/32), delivered strong performances.

During England's chase, Shaheen Afridi's early wickets reduced them to 58/4. However, Harry Brook's outstanding century (100 runs off 51 balls) and partnerships with Sam Curran (16 runs) and Will Jacks (28 runs) helped England secure victory by two wickets, finishing with five wickets remaining.