Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram shared a unique Shaheen Shah Afridi record on Thursday after the Men in Green romped to victory against New Zealand in the 1st semifinal of the T20 World Cup.
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“It’s the 7th time he (Shaheen) has taken a wicket in the first over of an innings. The most by any Pakistan fast bowler. That’s incredible. That’s why he is so important to this format. He just turns the game around in the first over itself,” Akram said on A Sports.
Akram then asked fellow panelists Shoaib Malik and Misbah ul Haq what a good total on this pitch would have been, to which Misbah replied, “I think 170.”
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Malik said, “The way the New Zealand bowlers were bowling, especially their spinner, even if the score was 170, I think our openers would have chased it down. The way they started their innings.”
Akram also pointed out that Kiwi bowler Ish Sodhi was not using his googly and neither did he have any zip in his delivery.
In the match, Pakistan sailed into the T20 World Cup final with a comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand at the SCG.
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Batting first, New Zealand managed 152 for 4, riding on Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 34-ball 53 and skipper Kane Williamson’s 46 off 42 balls.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Afridi snapped two wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz took one.
Pakistan achieved the target with five balls to spare with Babar Azam (53 off 42) and Mohammad Rizwan (57) sharing a 105-run stand for the opening wicket.
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Trent Boult (2/33) managed to grab two wickets, while Mitchell Santner (1/26) too accounted for one batter.
