Pakistan pacers top the bowling rankings before the 2023
ISLAMABAD: The pace three of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah from Pakistan proved to be a formidable opponent for Afghanistan. They successfully eliminated the Afghan squad for just 59 runs, securing a commanding 142-run victory in the first ODI played on Tuesday in Hambantota.
Haris Rauf’s performance was particularly noteworthy because it marked his first five-wicket haul in ODI cricket and included his best-ever international performance stats of 5/18. This achievement also represented the best bowling performance by a Pakistani bowler against Afghanistan and, in addition, the best bowling performance by any bowler facing Afghanistan following the country’s attainment of Full Member status.
Since the 2019 ICC World Cup ended, Pakistan’s fast bowling unit has exhibited an exceptional average of 27.00 in ODIs. . Since the 2019 World Cup is over, their bowling average has surpassed 40.In the opening One-Day International against Afghanistan on Tuesday in Hambantota, Shadab Khan made an incredible diving catch. In their attempt to reach a 202-run goal, Afghanistan’s batting lineup was already having trouble at 3-2 after Shaheen Afridi’s consecutive breakthroughs.
In a sequence that mesmerized onlookers, Naseem Shah fired a brief delivery that persuaded Shahidi to attempt a pull shot. Shahidi, however, was struggling to maintain control due to the ball’s intense velocity and bounce. Shadab jumped into action after making a nearly successful attempt to clear the square leg region. He made a spectacular leap to the left, nudge the ball with his right hand, then secure it as he came back to the ground.
Published in EDP BLOGS on August 23,2023.
