Shaheen Afridi made history on October 20, 2023, when he took five wickets against Australia in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. With this accomplishment, Shaheen tied the uncommon record of his father-in-law Shahid Afridi’s two five-wicket innings during an ODI World Cup.
At a critical juncture in the match, Shaheen claimed five wickets, ending Mitchell Marsh and David Warner’s 259-run opening stand. After that, Shaheen finished with 5/54 in 10 overs by dismissing Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis.
Shaheen’s performance did not change Australia’s outcome, but it was an unforgettable moment for the young left-arm bowler. In the ODI World Cup, he is the second Pakistani bowler after Shahid Afridi to have collected two five-wicket hauls.
Shaheen’s performance is all the more remarkable considering how young he is, at 22. Being one of the world’s top fast bowlers, he has the potential to be remembered as a member of the all-time greats.
