Shaheen is one of the most talented bowlers of his era (Twitter)
One of the most exciting and talented pacers of the modern era, Shaheen Afridi has established himself as the leader of the Pakistani attack across all formats of the game in his 5-year-old career.
Having burst on the scene as a baby-faced teenager amid massive hype thanks to his performances in the 2018 Under-19 World Cup, Shaheen has proved thus far that his hype was worth every bit.
Shaheen is an ideal prototype for a fast bowler. He is tall. He has the left-arm angle. He has the yorker. He has pace, and of course, he can move it both ways. While he is still a work in progress with the old ball, there is no doubt in the fact that Afridi is one of the most thrilling and dangerous new ball bowlers going around.
In the past 5 years, he has already created plenty of records to become one of the most talked about cricketers in the current era.
Here's a look at some of the records that Shaheen Afridi has created across formats:
Shaheen Afridi Records - Tests
Shaheen Afridi records in tests [Twitter]
Shaheen made his Test debut against New Zealand in December 2018.
He showed promising signs during the winter tour of South Africa, as he prized out 9 scalps in helpful conditions across 2 Tests. However, the talented pacer struggled to acclimatise to the alien conditions of Australia, England and New Zealand during the 2019-21 cycle.
Shaheen managed just 5 wickets against a power packed Aussie batting-unit Down Under; 5 in the UK in 4 innings and an eye-watering 6 scalps across 3 arduous innings against a merciless Kiwi batting-unit-led by Kane Williamson.
Familiar conditions brought success, and on December 19th, 2019, the left-arm pacer registered his 1st 5-for- against Sri Lanka in Karachi- the 8th youngest at the time.
The year 2021 proved to be a watershed year for Shaheen across formats, especially in Tests, as he became the 3rd youngest pacer since the turn of millennium to take a 10-wicket haul.
He was just 21 years and 136 days old when he registered figures of 6-51 and 4-53 at the historic venue of Sabina Park, Jamaica.
Afridi finished as Pakistan's leading Test wicket-taker in 2021- 47 wickets in 17 innings at 17.06 apiece, with three 5-fors and 1 10-wicket-haul.
The following year 2022 proved to be a frustrating one for Shaheen as an unfortunate injury in Galle ruled him out of the format for a considerable period of time.
He recently made his return against the same opponent and at the same venue.
Here's a look at some of his records in Tests:
- 8th Youngest Pakistani to take a 5-wicket-haul
- Shaheen claimed the feat against Sri Lanka in Karachi (2019). He was just 19 years and 257 days old at the time. Overall, he is the 27th youngest to achieve the milestone
- 3rd youngest pacer to take a 10-for in the 21st century
- The left-arm pacer was just 21 years and 136 days old when he registered figures of 6/51 & 4/53 at the iconic Sabina Park in 2021
- Leading wicket-taker for his country in WTC 2019-21 & 2021-23
- Shaheen has led the way for his team in the first couple of World Test Champions. The southpaw claimed 32 and 41 wickets @ 32.63 & 18.19 apiece respectively
Shaheen Afridi's Test Numbers
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike rate | 5/10 | BBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 46 | 105 | 25.58 | 49.6 | 4/1 | 10/94 |
Shaheen Afridi Records - ODIs
Shaheen Afridi ODI Records [Twitter]
Shaheen shot to superstardom at the 2019 World Cup thanks to his record-breaking exploits.
He turned heads with his searing pace and ability to generate movement, and he was clearly too hot to handle for Afghanistan and Bangladesh batsmen, against whom he claimed 4 and 6 wickets respectively.
His figures of 6/35 against Bangladesh are the best by any Pakistani pacer in World Cup history. Afridi ended the tournament with 19 wickets, thereby making him the most successful teanager to ever bowl in the quadrennial event.
Two years later, the southpaw became the 8th fastest ever to claim 50 ODI wickets (in 25 matches).
As Pakistan get ready to try and repeat the high of 1992 at the upcoming World Cup in India, all their eyes would be on Afridi, who will have to spearhead the attack with precision to enable his team to realize the dream of his nation.
Here's a look at his ODI records:
- Youngest to take a 4-wicket-haul in World Cup history
- Afridi registered figures of 4/47 in a must-win game for Pakistan against bitter rivals Afghanistan at the 2019 event to register this feat. He was just 19 years and 84 days old at the time
- 8th youngest to claim a 5-for in ODIs
- During the same World Cup, Shaheen blew Bangladesh away to the tune of 6/35. In the process, he became the 8th youngest (19 years and 90 days) in the world and 4th youngest from his country to take a 5-for in ODIs
- Best figures by a Pakistani in World Cup history
- His figures of 6/35 (against Bangladesh) are the best-ever by a Pakistani bowler in the quadrennial event
- One of the 11 bowlers to bag consecutive 4+ wicket hauls in this format
- Afridi achieved the milestone against Afghanistan (4/47) and Bangladesh (6/35) at the 2019 WC
- 8th fastest to take 100 ODI wickets (in terms of matches played)
- The southpaw claimed his 50th ODI scalp in his 25th outing on April 07, 2021.Shaheen Shah Afridi Stats - (ODI)
Shaheen Afridi's ODI Numbers
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike rate | Fifers | BBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 52 | 104 | 23.94 | 25.9 | 3 | 6/35 |
Shaheen Afridi Records - T20Is
Shaheen Afridi in T20I [Twitter]
Shaheen made his T20I debut against the West Indies in April 2018, and since then he has gone on to become the leader of the Pakistani pace attack.
Afridi's biggest weapon is his ability to move the new ball both ways and at high pace and deadly accuracy, thereby making him the one of the most feared new-ball bowler of the current era.
His most memorable performance in this format was also built on this very strength as he bamboozled the famed Indian top-order to set-up Pakistan's maiden win over their arch-rivals in T20 World Cup history.
But, just like the new ball is his strength, the old ball is his biggest bane, and he found that out at the semi-finals of the 2021 World cup when Matthew Wade hit him for three consecutive sixes to win Australia the match.
Afridi did not feature in the 2022 Asia Cup due to injury, but he made a valiant comeback at the World Cup in Australia. Though not at his absolute best, he gave it all for his country, delivering a brilliant spell in the final, before hobbling out due to another injury.
The southpaw is currently the leading wicket-taker [64] for Pakistan among pacers, and, overall, the 2nd-most successful in their history.
Here's a look at his T20I records:
- Third youngest to represent Pakistan in the T20Is
- Highest wicket-taker for Pakistan among pacers
- Player of the Match in Pakistan's maiden World Cup win over India
Shaheen Afridi's T20I Numbers
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike rate | BBM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 52 | 64 | 22.73 | 17.86 | 4/22 |
