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Pakistan's ODI captain, Shaheen Afridi, achieved a remarkable milestone in international cricket, becoming the quickest Pakistani fast bowler to complete 150 wickets in One Day Internationals. The 26-year-old left-arm pacer reached this feat in his 80th ODI match against England at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on Sunday, October 25. This achievement surpasses the long-standing joint record held by legendary fast bowlers Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar, who both took 91 matches to reach the same milestone.
Afridi secured his 150th wicket by dismissing England's in-form opener Tom Banton in the first over of the tri-series fixture. Banton, known for his consistent scoring, chipped a full-length delivery to cover, where Arafat took a simple catch. This crucial wicket not only marked Afridi's personal milestone but also gave Pakistan an early breakthrough in the match. Overall, Afridi is the second-fastest Pakistani bowler to reach 150 ODI wickets, only behind off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who achieved it in 78 matches.
Globally, Shaheen Afridi now stands as the joint-fourth fastest player to reach 150 ODI wickets, alongside Afghanistan's Rashid Khan and India's Mohammed Shami, all completing the feat in 80 matches. Nepal's Sandeep Lamichhane holds the world record, reaching 150 wickets in just 73 ODIs, followed by Mitchell Starc (77) and Saqlain Mushtaq (78). The match itself was significant for Pakistan, who were wearing pink jerseys to raise breast cancer awareness. They also made two changes to their playing XI, with Shadab Khan returning and Razaullah making his ODI debut.
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