Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi has returned to his best at the 2023 World Cup, rising to top of the table for wicket takers in the tournament.
While Pakistan have had an indifferent tournament so far, Afridi has been consistent throughout. Here we take a look at just how good Afridi has been so far.
Quickest pacers to 100 wickets in ODIs
Left-arm pacer Afridi joined the 100 wickets club with his three-wicket haul against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday. In doing so, he became the quickest fast bowler ever to the milestone, reaching there in just 51 matches.
The previous record belonged to Australia’s Mitchell Starc, who had done it in 52 matches in 2016. Starc however had taken fewer balls (2,452) compared to 2,526 balls by Afridi.
With 16 wickets, Afridi is also the joint-leading wicket-taker in this World Cup with Australia’s Adam Zampa. No wonder he rose to the No1 spot in ODI rankings this week.
Best bowling averages in the World Cup
Afridi loves bowling in the ODI World Cup. Playing in his only second tournament, he has already taken 32 wickets in 12 games at an impressive average of 17.28, which is the third best in the World Cup among 47 bowlers who have taken 25 wickets or more.
At just 23 years of age, Afridi is the fourth highest wicket-taker from Pakistan in World Cups after Imran Khan (34), Wahab Riaz (35) and Wasim Akram (55).
To put Afridi's stunning rise in perspective, the legendary World Cup winning captain Imran took 34 wickets across five World Cups whereas Afridi has 32 in just two tournaments. What's even more amazing is that Afridi was not considered for four matches in the previous World Cup.
The best among Pakistan pacers
Pakistan are known for their fast bowlers and have produced many legendary pacers over the years. But Afridi has left all of them behind with his consistent performances.
Afridi, who made his ODI debut in Abu Dhabi in 2018, has 102 wickets at an average of 22.82, the best among 14 pacers from Pakistan with 100 or more wickets.
Afridi's striking prowess
Afridi has taken a wicket in each of his last 23 ODIs, by far the longest streak for a Pakistan bowler in ODI history with the next best being Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Akhtar, who took a wicket in 16 consecutive ODIs.
Afridi's career strike-rate in ODIs is 25.2, the best among 116 fast bowlers in the world who have taken 100 or more wickets. What that means is on average, Afridi takes a wicket every 25 balls.
Most wickets since Afridi's debut
Since making his international debut in a T20 series against West Indies in April 2018 on the back of a fine season with Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League, Shaheen has been one of the most prolific bowlers in the world.
He has bagged 271 wickets across formats (Tests, ODIs and T20Is). Only two bowlers (Pat Cummins 275 and Mitchell Starc 280) have taken more wickets during this time.
Afridi has taken that many wickets despite missing six months of cricket in the previous season due to a knee injury.
Due to his consistent performance across formats, Afridi was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021, the youngest ever to get the highest award in cricket.
He is also the only Pakistan bowler who has an average below 26 each format (Tests 25.58, ODIs 22.82 and T20Is 22.73).
A man of many records
It’s not just ODIs where Afridi is creating records. He is equally good in other formats too, particularly T20s. This year, while playing for Nottinghamshire in the T20 Blast, he became the first bowler in history to take 4 wickets in the first over of the innings. That was done against Birmingham.
Afridi captains Lahore Qalandars in the PSL where he has won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 title made him the youngest captain to win a major T20 competition. He was 21 at that time.
No captain in the PSL has a better winning record than him.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
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In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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What are the regulations?
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
