OTD | Shahid Afridi registered the second-best bowling figures during Pakistan’s huge win over West Indies in 2013

Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi had a long and tenured career. Making his debut in 1996, the Pakistani all-rounder played for more than 20 years. Shahid Afridi began as a batter who could hit the big shots and played at the top of the order.

For a long time, Shahid Afridi held the record for the fastest ODI century which he scored off 37 balls. As his career went by his batting started to suffer as he made his way down the batting order.

Sensing that his batting powers were on the wane, Shahid Afridi decided to turn to spin bowling. Incidentally, Shahid Afridi ended his ODI career having played 398 matches and having picked 395 wickets. The former Pakistan skipper ended as the 5th highest wicket-taker and also missed out on becoming the fifth-ever bowler to pick more than 400 ODI wickets.

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Shahid Afridi has the West Indian batters hopping

During the 1st ODI between Pakistan and West Indies at Antigua, Shahid Afridi recorded the second-ever best bowling figures in ODI cricket. The Pakistani superstar capped off an excellent day on the field to be awarded the man of the match.

Batting first Pakistan scored 224/9 after being reduced to 47/5 at one stage. Shahid Afridi and skipper Misbah Ul Haq added 120 runs for the 6th wicket with Misbah scoring 52 off 121 balls. Afridi was his belligerent self as he hit 76 runs from 55 balls with six fours and 5 sixes.

Chasing a modest 225 to win, many expected the home team to get over the line. Shahid Afridi though had other ideas. Mohmmad Irfan removed Johnson Charles and Darren Bravo while Misbah accounted for Chris Gayle via run-out.

This is where the entire Shahid Afridi show began as he first removed Lendl Simmons stumped for 10. This was followed by the wicket of Dwayne Bravo for a first-ball duck and then the wicket of Kieron Pollard for 3.

Marlon Samuels was caught plumb in front of the wicket of 25 to give Afridi his 4th wicket. The fifer came when he dismissed Kemar Roach for 1 and then got the wicket of Sunil Narine for 14. The match was over when Afridi had Jason Holder out LBW for a duck to end his day with 7/12 from 9 overs which also included 3 maiden overs.

Shahid Afridi went past the best figures of Aaquib Javed’s 7/37 to record the best-ever ODI figures by a Pakistani. The 8/19 by Chaminda Vaas is the only record that fell on an eventful day for Shahid Afridi in ODI cricket. 

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