We present to you some of the most memorable games and moments from previous World Cups with less than a month till the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. In this essay, we’ll examine Pakistani fast-bowling star Shaheen Afridi’s record-breaking World Cup performance.
World Cup 2019: Pakistan vs Bangladesh
It was Pakistan and Bangladesh’s final match of the group stage. The Pakistani bowlers, especially Shaheen, were revved up despite the fact that it was almost impossible for this game to have an impact on the team’s rankings on the points table. Shaheen not only had the greatest bowling statistics for a Pakistani bowler in the World Cup, but he also broke the record for the youngest bowler to ever collect a five-wicket haul. The left-arm fast bowler was only 19 years and 90 days old on game day. He noted the 6/35 figures.
Advertisement
Pakistan chose to bat first after winning the toss and put on an excellent display. To lead Pakistan to a total of 315 at the midway point, Imam-ul-Haq struck a century, Babar Azam scored 96 runs, and Imad Wasim scored 43 runs in just 26 balls. With the ball in their hands, Pakistani bowlers limited Bangladesh’s batters’ ability to score runs during the powerplay. The names of Shaheen’s six victims are listed below.
Tamim Iqbal
Shaheen Afridi bowled Tamim Iqbal with a delivery that was wildly out of character. The renowned left-arm bowler bowled a slower delivery at a speed of only 121 kph. Tamim was quite early with his straight drive on the full-length delivery, which was on the off-stump.
Litton Das
With the first ball of a fresh spell, Shaheen scored. Litton Das was terminated as a result of a cross-seam delivery. Litton was induced to take a cover drive when the ball was pitched on the fifth stump, but he was unable to control it and handed an easy catch to Haris Sohail who was positioned at cover. To collect a routine catch at waist height, Sohail scarcely shifted to his left.
Shakib Al Hasan
Advertisement
Shaheen’s largest wicket of the contest was this one. At the World Cup, Shakib Al Hasan had already put on one of, if not the finest, batting displays. Before this game, he had already amassed six 50+ scores in the competition, and he is currently in the middle of another half-century. Shakib attempted to cut the pace-on delivery square in his response. The Bangladeshi all-rounder edged the ball straight to Sarfaraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper, and was beaten for pace and additional bounce.
Mohammad Saifuddin
Another Bangladeshi batter was struck by a cover drive, and Mohammad Saifuddin was out for a golden duck. Saifudding executed a solid cover drive, but his lack of height allowed the cover fielder to make another easy catch. This time, Mohammad Amir collected a catch at knee height to his left.
Mahmudullah
Two balls after Saifuddin was dismissed, Mahmadullah was defeated by a yorker with a reverse swing. Shaheen Afridi became the youngest bowler in World Cup history to collect a five-wicket haul when her 142 kph delivery castled the stumps.
Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman was the final player to be sent out, and the deliveries were ideal for a number 11 hitter. Shaheen’s bouncer down the leg side, which was deemed wide, began the over. He followed the bouncer with a yorker that Mustafizur couldn’t handle. He was bowled as Shaheen claimed the sixth wicket and set a World Cup record for the greatest bowling stats by a Pakistani.
Conclusion
The brilliant display by Shaheen Afridi against Bangladesh is still a tribute to the talent and promise of young cricketers. In a relatively insignificant group-stage match between Pakistan and Bangladesh, Shaheen stole the show with his remarkable bowling skills. In addition to giving Pakistan the victory, his outstanding 6/35 stats cemented his status as the World Cup’s youngest bowler to pick up five wickets.
Both the bat and the ball were used exceptionally well in the match. The top-order batsmen for Pakistan put on a strong effort and set a challenging target of 315 runs. Shaheen’s spell, however, was what really gave the match its meaning. His dismissals of players like Mahmadullah, Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hasan demonstrated his versatility and prowess as a fast bowler. We can only hope for more of the beautiful moments that make cricket the sport we all cherish and adore as we eagerly await the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023.
Advertisement