Shaheen Afridi. Photo- AP
Shaheen Afridi. Photo- AP

Shaheen Afridi, the ace Pakistani pacer, on Tuesday, December 10, reached a significant milestone in the opening T20I of the present three-match series against South Africa. Shaheen Afridi became the first Pakistani bowler and the fourth in the world to take 100 wickets in all three formats of cricket.

The Mohammad Rizwan-led side opened the T20I series in South Africa with an 11-run defeat at Kingsmead in Durban. Shaheen was Pakistan’s finest performer, taking 3 for 21 in four overs. However, it was insufficient for the visiting squad to hold the Proteas to a low score.

Shaheen Afridi came into the contest with 97 T20I wickets. In the series opener, the left-arm pace bowler took three wickets to reach 100. He attained this milestone in 74 appearances, joining Pakistani bowlers Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf on the list of bowlers taking 100 wickets in T20Is.

Most Wickets for Pakistan in T20Is:

Player Matches Wickets Average Economy Best Bowling (BBI)
Haris Rauf 78 110 20.76 8.16 4/18
Shadab Khan 104 107 23.57 7.24 4/8
Shaheen Shah Afridi 74 100 20.87 7.76 4/22
Shahid Afridi 98 97 24.35 6.61 4/11
Umar Gul 60 85 16.97 7.19 5/6
Saeed Ajmal 64 85 17.83 6.36 4/19

Shaheen first bowled Rassie van der Dussen for a golden duck. He later dismissed David Miller, who had scored 82 off 40 balls. Shaheen took his 100th T20I wicket by catching Nqabayomzi Peter lbw. The fast bowler also became the fourth-fastest fast bowler to reach 100 wickets in T20 Internationals.

Shaheen Afridi Becomes First Pakistan Bowler to Achieve Rare Feat

Shaheen Afridi, who made his international debut for Pakistan on April 3, 2018, has joined an elite group of bowlers who have taken 100 or more wickets in all three formats.

The left-arm bowler has taken 116 wickets in 31 Tests, 112 in 56 ODIs, and 100 in T20Is. Tim Southee, Shakib Al Hasan, and Lasith Malinga are the only other bowlers to have taken 100 wickets in all three forms.

Bowlers to Take 100 Wickets Each in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is:

Player Country Tests ODIs T20Is Total
Tim Southee New Zealand 389 221 164 774
Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh 246 317 149 712
Lasith Malinga Sri Lanka 101 338 107 546
Shaheen Shah Afridi Pakistan 116 112 100 328

South Africa outclasses Pakistan in first T20I thanks to George Linde’s all-round performance

Heinrich Klaasen, captaining South Africa for the first time, won the toss and decided to bat first. Despite losing the first three wickets for cheap, David Miller’s 82 in 40 balls with 4 fours and 8 sixes and George Linde’s 48 in 24 balls with 3 fours and 4 sixes helped South Africa reach 183/9 in 20 overs.

Shaheen Afridi and Abrar Ahmed grabbed three wickets each.

In response, Mohammad Rizwan, who opened the batting alongside former captain Babar Azam, played till the final over but was unable to lead Pakistan home, as South Africa won by 11 runs. He batted until the last over, scoring 74 off 62 balls, including three sixes and five fours.

Saim Ayub (31), and Tayyab Tahir (18) were the other Pakistani players to reach double-figures as the Men in Green could only manage 172/8 in 20 overs. George Linde picked 4/21, while Kwena Maphaka picked 2 wickets.

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