With 14 wickets in three World Cup games, Pakistan cricket team skipper, Shahid Afridi, stands as the tournament’s top wicket-taker.
After yesterday’s match against Canada, Afridi has also become the world’s seventh bowler to take three consecutive four-wicket hauls in One Day International (ODI) cricket.
He has the honour to be the first Pakistani bowler and the fourth overall to take five-wicket hauls twice in a ICC Cricket World Cup. Moreover, Afridi is the first skipper to mop up a five-wicket haul.
All these honors were conferred upon Afridi after he completed his second five-wicket haul of the ongoing World Cup against Canada on Thursday March 3, 2011.
His first five-wicket haul came against Kenya on 23 February, 2011 in their World Cup opener. With 5 for 16 against Kenya and 5 for 23 against Canada, Afridi has made history as the first skipper to take two 5-wicket hauls.
Before Afridi’s feat, Abdul Razzaq, Waqar Younis, Shane Warne, Vasbert Drakes, Kurram Chohan and Narendra Hirwani have achieved three consecutive five-wicket hauls. Afridi is the seventh to have this honour.
Afridi is likely to surpass former Pakistani pacer, Wasim Akram’s 18 World Cup wickets in 10 World Cup games in 1992, provided he keeps his from intact. Afridi’s overall World Cup record is marvellous with 21 wickets in 15 games at an average of 16.67 with a strike rate of 23.0.
With his 220 wickets in 177 ODIs, Afridi has emerged an excellent spinner cum skipper in the world of cricket. He has won 24 ‘Man of the Match’ tittles including two in the ongoing World Cup. With his excellent leg break googlies, Afridi confuses the facing batsmen and his bowling drifts and skids into the wicket.
Afridi has vindicated the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint him as skipper. The PCB lingered on the matter of naming a skipper for Pakistan’s World Cup squad despite severe pressure from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
There had been two nominees for the rank of captaincy, Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, the former being the standing captain, while the latter had led the team in Test cricket. Following Pakistan’s 3-2 win in an ODI series against New Zealand shortly before the World Cup, Afridi stood as a captain.
Initially his international career begun as an aggressive batsman. Now, Afridi is gradually emerging as an excellent all-rounder. Due to his aggressive and emotional batting-style, he often scores inconsistently.
Team coach, Waqar Younis, and some other former Pakistani players have advised him to focus on bowling and Afridi is following their advice successfully.
It has also been reported that shortly before the start of yesterday’s match, Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup triumph hero, Imran Khan, called him up and asked Afridi to thrive on the bowling front.
After yesterday’s match against Canada, Afridi has also become the world’s seventh bowler to take three consecutive four-wicket hauls in One Day International (ODI) cricket.
He has the honour to be the first Pakistani bowler and the fourth overall to take five-wicket hauls twice in a ICC Cricket World Cup. Moreover, Afridi is the first skipper to mop up a five-wicket haul.
All these honors were conferred upon Afridi after he completed his second five-wicket haul of the ongoing World Cup against Canada on Thursday March 3, 2011.
His first five-wicket haul came against Kenya on 23 February, 2011 in their World Cup opener. With 5 for 16 against Kenya and 5 for 23 against Canada, Afridi has made history as the first skipper to take two 5-wicket hauls.
Before Afridi’s feat, Abdul Razzaq, Waqar Younis, Shane Warne, Vasbert Drakes, Kurram Chohan and Narendra Hirwani have achieved three consecutive five-wicket hauls. Afridi is the seventh to have this honour.
Afridi is likely to surpass former Pakistani pacer, Wasim Akram’s 18 World Cup wickets in 10 World Cup games in 1992, provided he keeps his from intact. Afridi’s overall World Cup record is marvellous with 21 wickets in 15 games at an average of 16.67 with a strike rate of 23.0.
With his 220 wickets in 177 ODIs, Afridi has emerged an excellent spinner cum skipper in the world of cricket. He has won 24 ‘Man of the Match’ tittles including two in the ongoing World Cup. With his excellent leg break googlies, Afridi confuses the facing batsmen and his bowling drifts and skids into the wicket.
Afridi has vindicated the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) decision to appoint him as skipper. The PCB lingered on the matter of naming a skipper for Pakistan’s World Cup squad despite severe pressure from the International Cricket Council (ICC).
There had been two nominees for the rank of captaincy, Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq, the former being the standing captain, while the latter had led the team in Test cricket. Following Pakistan’s 3-2 win in an ODI series against New Zealand shortly before the World Cup, Afridi stood as a captain.
Initially his international career begun as an aggressive batsman. Now, Afridi is gradually emerging as an excellent all-rounder. Due to his aggressive and emotional batting-style, he often scores inconsistently.
Team coach, Waqar Younis, and some other former Pakistani players have advised him to focus on bowling and Afridi is following their advice successfully.
It has also been reported that shortly before the start of yesterday’s match, Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup triumph hero, Imran Khan, called him up and asked Afridi to thrive on the bowling front.
