The Left-Arm Menace Of Pakistan: Ranking Shaheen Afridi's 5 Best ODI Spells

Soumyajit Dutta

Shaheen Afridi [Source: AFP Photos]Shaheen Afridi [Source: AFP Photos]

Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan's towering left-arm pace spearhead, has consistently delivered match-defining bursts of fast bowling that have etched his name among the modern greats. His ability to be absolutely lethal with the ball has turned games on their head and instilled fear in batting lineups across the globe.

From his explosive emergence as a teenager to his current status as a world-class leader of the attack, Afridi possesses a rare knack for producing spellbinding performances when his team needs it most. With his heroics across formats, let's take a look at his best career-best ODI spells.

5) 4/38 vs New Zealand

On November 9, 2018, at Abu Dhabi, Pakistan’s then-young pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered a match-winning performance in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand. Defending a modest total of 209, New Zealand looked to build momentum, but Afridi’s fiery spell broke their backbone.

Afridi dismissed Colin Munro (13) early, then removed Tom Latham (1) and later struck again by cleaning up Tim Southee (13) and Ish Sodhi (13). Finishing with figures of 4/38 in 9 overs, Afridi ensured Pakistan restricted New Zealand to 209/9. His lethal pace and heroics earned him the Player of the Match award as Pakistan chased the target comfortably, winning by 6 wickets with 57 balls to spare.

4) 4/35 vs India

Shaheen Afridi against India [Source: @amin_sharaf/X.com]Shaheen Afridi against India [Source: @amin_sharaf/X.com]

Shaheen Shah Afridi produced yet another match-defining spell against India during the Asia Cup 2023 clash at Pallekele on September 2. Under overcast conditions and with the ball swinging, Afridi struck early to rattle India’s top order. He first dismissed skipper Rohit Sharma with a sharp inswinger that crashed into the stumps, before sending Virat Kohli back soon. His early burst left India reeling in a high-pressure encounter.

Afridi returned later in the innings to break a crucial stand by dismissing Hardik Pandya with a deceptive slower ball and then accounted for Ravindra Jadeja, ensuring India never recovered momentum. He finished with superb figures of 4 for 35 in 10 overs. However, his heroics fell flat as rain washed out the match, and Pakistan never got a chance to bat.

3) 5/54 vs Australia

On October 20, 2023, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, Afridi once again delivered a memorable bowling performance against Australia in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Despite Australia posting a massive total of 367, Afridi stood out with his fiery spell, finishing with 5 wickets for 54 runs in 10 overs.

He struck at crucial moments, removing Mitchell Marsh (121) to break the record opening stand, followed quickly by dismissing Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck. Afridi returned in the death overs to clean up the tail, accounting for Stoinis, Starc, and Hazlewood, showcasing his trademark yorkers and sharp variations. His five-wicket haul kept Pakistan fighting in an otherwise high-scoring contest, which the Men in Green lost by 62 runs.

2) 5/49 vs Zimbabwe

Second on the list is Afridi’s another heroic 5 years back. On October 30, 2020, at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Shaheen delivered a match-winning spell in the 1st ODI against Zimbabwe that underlined his status as Pakistan’s prime bowler. Defending 282, Afridi struck early, removing Brian Chari in the very first over before dismissing skipper Chamu Chibhabha soon after to put Zimbabwe under pressure. 

Afridi returned in the middle overs to dismiss Craig Ervine and later claimed the prized wicket of centurion Brendan Taylor, who had kept Zimbabwe’s chase alive with a brilliant 112. Afridi completed his five-wicket haul by cleaning up Carl Mumba, finishing with 5 for 49 in 10 overs. His fiery pace, sharp swing, and composure under pressure ensured Pakistan’s 26-run victory.

1) 6/35 vs Bangladesh

Shaheen Afridi against Bangladesh [Source: @cruiser991/X.com]Shaheen Afridi against Bangladesh [Source: @cruiser991/X.com]

Shaheen’s most renowned spell comes against Bangladesh, where he scalped 6 wickets for just 35 runs. At Lord’s on July 5, 2019, Pakistan signed off their World Cup campaign with a commanding 94-run win over Bangladesh, thanks to a historic bowling display from the ace pacer. Batting first, Pakistan posted a solid 315/9, built on Imam-ul-Haq’s classy 100 and Babar Azam’s fluent 96. Imad Wasim’s quickfire 43 added late momentum, though Mustafizur Rahman struck with a five-wicket haul to restrict further damage.

In reply, Bangladesh never recovered from early blows as Afridi ripped through their batting order with pace and swing. He drew first blood by trapping Tamim Iqbal, and then he removed Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das, and Mushfiqur Rahim. He later dismissed Mahmudullah and Mustafizur Rahman to complete his six-for and win the Player of the Match award.