ISLAMABAD: Shaheen Afridi has accomplished a notable feat by becoming only the third bowler to secure 100 wickets in the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
During the 23rd match of PSL 9 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Afridi, who captains Lahore Qalandars, reached the milestone by dismissing Naseem Shah of Islamabad United.
Wahab Riaz holds the distinction of being the first bowler to achieve this feat in PSL history, boasting an impressive tally of 113 wickets, making him the league’s all-time leading wicket-taker.
Following Riaz, Hasan Ali occupies the second position with 107 wickets. Ali reached the milestone by dismissing Alex Hales of Islamabad United during the 15th match of PSL 9 in Karachi.
Shadab Khan, the captain of Islamabad United, holds the fourth position with 87 wickets, while his teammate Faheem Ashraf follows closely with 73 wickets.
It’s worth noting that despite securing a 17-run victory over Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars remain at the bottom of the points table.
Lahore Qalandars displayed a strong performance against Islamabad United while defending a target of 163 runs. The early stages of Islamabad’s innings witnessed several dismissals, putting pressure on Shadab Khan’s team.
The match’s turning point occurred in the first over when Shaheen Afridi claimed the wicket of Alex Hales for a duck. Subsequently, Agha Salman (4) fell to Zaman Khan, and Shadab Khan (7) was dismissed by a yorker.
Colin Munro (15), Imad Wasim (7), and Jordan Cox (7) were quickly sent back to the pavilion, leaving Islamabad in a challenging position. However, Azam Khan and Faheem Ashraf tried to stabilize the innings with a 35-run partnership.
Despite Naseem Shah’s brief resistance, scoring 27 runs off 16 balls before being dismissed by Afridi, Faheem Ashraf remained unbeaten on 41 off 31 balls. Nonetheless, Lahore Qalandars’ bowlers, particularly Zaman Khan (4/37) and Shaheen Afridi (2/32), maintained control over the match.
In their innings, Lahore Qalandars posted a competitive total of 163 runs, led by Rassie van der Dussen’s half-century. Despite a shaky start, van der Dussen’s resilient knock of 64 off 44 balls propelled the defending champions to a respectable score.
David Wiese’s unbeaten 24-run contribution further strengthened Lahore Qalandars’ innings. Rumman Raees led Islamabad United’s bowling attack with figures of 2/19, supported by other bowlers who chipped in with wickets.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
