Tag: Shaheen Afridi

  • Shaheen Shah Afridi jumps to top five in Test rankings

    Shaheen Shah Afridi jumps to top five in Test rankings

    Pakistan’s young fast bowler Shaheen Sha Afridi has jumped to the top five of the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time following his five-for against Bangladesh in Pakistan’s eight-wicket win in the first Test in Chittagong.

    Afridi, who finished with a match haul of seven wickets, moved up three places to number 5, overtaking James Anderson, Kagiso Rabada and Neil Wagner in the process.

    Each of the three bowlers Afridi has overtaken will have an opportunity to make gains of their own. Wagner could have the first crack if he makes New Zealand’s XI for the second and final Test against India in Mumbai. Anderson is likely to line up for the first Ashes Test next week, while Rabada will spearhead South Africa’s pace attack during their home Tests against India later this month.

    Meanwhile, Afridi’s new-ball partner Hassan Ali also moved five places to 11th, his best-ever position so far, following seven wickets in the Chittagong Test. This included figures of 5 for 51 that hastened Bangladesh’s collapse in the first innings after Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim put on 206 runs for the fifth wicket.

    Read More – Hassan Ali equals Waqar Younis, Imran Khan’s record in Bangladesh Test

    Among batters, Tom Latham and Dimuth Karunaratne made significant gains for their efforts in Kanpur and Galle respectively. Latham, who made 95 and 52 in New Zealand’s thrilling draw, jumped five places to No 9, while the Sri Lankan captain was two spots higher at seven following scores of 147 and 83 in Sri Lanka’s 187-run win in the first Test.

    Over in Bangladesh, the nature of Pakistan’s come-from-behind win had a few other gainers too. Abid Ali’s 133 and 91 helped him jump 27 slots to a career-best 20th rank, one place above Mushfiqur. Among the other gainers was Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam climbed two places to 23rd after picking up a seven-for in Pakistan’s first innings.

    Pakistan will play the next Test match against Bangladesh from December 4 to 8.

  • ‘Not happy’: Shahid Afridi schools Shaheen for bad bowling in semi-final

    ‘Not happy’: Shahid Afridi schools Shaheen for bad bowling in semi-final

    Former Pakistan captain and T20 World Cup winner, Shahid Afridi is upset by the dismal performance of Shaheen Shah Afridi, as the young pacer conceded three back to back sixes off Matthew Wade, who guided Australia to their first T20 World Cup Final on Thursday.

    Read More – ‘No one should point fingers, I back everyone’: Babar Azam talks to team after losing semi-final

    The former all-rounder asserted that even if Hassan Ali dropped an important catch, it doesn’t mean that Afridi should have lost hope.

    “I am not happy with Shaheen in one area. Okay, so Hassan Ali dropped a catch but that does not mean you will bowl badly and get hit for three successive sixes,” Shahid Afridi said on Samaa TV.

    “Shaheen has so much pace and he should have used it sensibly. Even if the catch was dropped. He should have used his head and tried to bowl outside off stump fast Yorkers with his pace. He is not that sort of bowler to be hit like that,” the former Pakistan captain said.

    Shaheen set the World Cup on fire when he got rid of top players like Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul with a new ball in Pakistan’s big match against India. In the semi-final against Australia, he sent back the Australian captain Aaron Finch in the first over.

    Cracking the three balls for sixes, the Australian keeper-batter sealed their spot in the final.

    Read More – Hayden lauds ‘warrior’ Rizwan, who was in hospital the night before Pak-Aus match

    Australia will be facing New Zealand in Final of the T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday at Dubai International Stadium.

  • VIDEO: Shaheen Afridi scripts history with four wickets in four balls

    Pakistan’s young and talented paceman Shaheen Afridi has scripted history by claiming four wickets in four balls.

    During Sunday’s Vitality Blast — professional Twenty20 cricket competition for English and Welsh first-class counties — fixture between Hampshire and Middlesex, the left-arm pacer took a wicket with each of his last four balls as he finished with figures of 6-19 from his four overs.

    It’s just the sixth time in T20 history that a bowler has taken four wickets in four balls, which is known as a double hat-trick, and Afridi’s figures are the best ever by a Hampshire bowler and the equal-third best by a Pakistani.

    Chasing 142 to win, Middlesex were in with a chance of victory when Afridi started his fourth and final over, with the visitors needing 23 to win from 18 balls with four wickets in hand and No.5 John Simpson on 47 not out.

    But having conceded a single from each of his first two balls of the over, Afridi shattered Simpson’s stumps with an in-swinger from over the wicket before he set his sights on the Middlesex tail.

    WATCH VIDEO:

    Switching to around the wicket, he cleaned up Steve Finn first ball with a nearly unplayable yorker before he secured the hat-trick as No 10 Thilan Walallawita had a swipe across the line and was also bowled.

    Afridi then produced another full delivery that knocked over Tim Murtagh’s middle stump to finish the match and ensure his final act in his stint with Hampshire was a memorable one.