Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi created history during the second ODI against Australia after becoming only the third Pakistan captain to take a wicket on the very first ball of a One Day International innings.
The left arm pacer achieved the milestone at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore when he dismissed Australian batter Alex Carey on the opening delivery of the match. Shaheen bowled a full wide delivery that removed Carey early and placed him in an exclusive list of Pakistan cricket captains.
Shaheen joins Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis
With the wicket, Shaheen Shah Afridi joined legendary former captains Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in the rare ODI record club.
Wasim Akram became the first Pakistan captain to take a wicket on the opening ball of an ODI innings in 1993 against Zimbabwe in Karachi. Waqar Younis later achieved the feat in 2001 when he dismissed England batter Marcus Trescothick in Leeds.
Now Shaheen Afridi has added his name to the historic list with his breakthrough against Australia in Lahore.
The achievement quickly attracted attention from cricket fans and analysts who praised the fast bowler for his strong start and leadership performance.
Shaheen delivers match changing spell
Shaheen Afridi continued his impressive bowling spell after the early breakthrough. He picked up his second wicket in the 47th over when he dismissed Matthew Kuhnemann.
The Pakistan captain later removed Nathan Ellis in the 49th over to complete a strong bowling performance. Shaheen finished with figures of 3 wickets for 36 runs in eight overs.
Pakistan also received support from Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, and Arafat Minhas. Together, the bowling attack restricted Australia to 231 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs.
The bowling performance gave Pakistan an opportunity to strengthen its position in the three match ODI series against Australia.
Pakistan faces pressure during run chase
Despite the strong bowling display, Pakistan struggled early during the run chase. At the time of reporting, the team had reached 74 for 5 in 16 overs while chasing a target of 232.
Pakistan still needed 157 runs from the remaining 34 overs. The pressure shifted onto the middle order after Australia managed to take quick wickets.
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Pakistan entered the second ODI with confidence after securing a five wicket victory in the opening match in Rawalpindi. The team currently leads the three match series 1 to 0.
Shaheen Afridi’s latest achievement adds another milestone to his growing career and highlights his impact as both a fast bowler and captain. His record breaking opening wicket against Australia has already become one of the major talking points of the ongoing ODI series.
