In a stunning turn of events, Shaheen Shah Afridi has soared to the pinnacle of the ICC ODI Bowling Rankings, firmly establishing his status as one of the most prominent bowlers in the world. His remarkable journey to the top has been catalyzed by his exceptional performances in the ongoing ICC Men’s World Cup.
Afridi, the 23-year-old left-arm pacer, has left a trail of destruction throughout the tournament, currently sharing the position of the highest wicket-taker alongside Australia’s leg-spinner, Adam Zampa. His phenomenal record of 16 wickets in seven matches is nothing short of awe-inspiring. In a memorable match against Australia in Bangaluru, he delivered an unforgettable performance by claiming a remarkable five-wicket haul. Moreover, his incredible abilities with the ball were on full display when he dismantled the Bangladesh batting lineup, taking three crucial wickets at the expense of a mere 23 runs in nine overs.
The historical significance of this achievement cannot be overstated, as Shaheen Shah Afridi also reached the milestone of 100 ODI wickets in the same game. He now stands as the fastest pace bowler to achieve this feat, accomplishing it in just 51 matches, surpassing the previous record held by Mitchell Starc, who reached this milestone in 52 matches. In the broader context, Shaheen ranks as the third-fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets in the ODI format, trailing only behind Sandeep Lamichhane (42 matches) and Rashid Khan (44 matches).
This remarkable ascent marks the first time that Shaheen has claimed the top spot in the bowlers’ rankings across all formats, and he has surged an astounding nine spots to attain this prestigious ranking. Concurrently, Pakistan’s charismatic captain, Babar Azam, continues to reign supreme at the summit of the ODI Batting Rankings, a position he has held since April 2021.
This milestone has historical implications as well, as it is the first time, since the inception of the ICC ODI Player Rankings, that a Pakistan batter and bowler are dominating the rankings simultaneously.
In other developments, Pakistan’s right-arm pacer Haris Rauf has risen five places in the rankings to become the 26th ranked ODI bowler. Imam-ul-Haq holds the 11th spot among batters, while Fakhar Zaman has ascended two spots to secure the 14th position after his electrifying performance against Bangladesh, where he amassed 81 runs from 74 deliveries, including three boundaries and seven maximums.
The World Cup’s leading run-scorer for Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan, has also made significant strides, advancing one position to 36th in the rankings for batters, while Mohammad Wasim Jr. has catapulted 18 places to the 56th spot in the bowling chart. Furthermore, the versatile Shadab Khan has tied for the 19th spot in the all-rounders’ rankings alongside Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga.
In the broader context of ODI team rankings, Pakistan now stands as the third-ranked ODI team, behind India and Australia, who occupy the first and second positions, respectively. With Shaheen Shah Afridi’s extraordinary rise and Pakistan’s overall performance, the cricketing world is taking notice of Pakistan’s resurgence on the international stage.
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