5 best bowling performances from Week 4 of 2023 World Cup ft. Mohammed Shami and Shaheen Afridi
It's been an exhilarating ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 so far and as we approach the business end of the tournament, all teams will look to string together consistent performances hoping to make the last four.
After the culmination of the fourth week of the competition, India and South Africa are firmly placed in the top two places and have more or less secured their semi-final spots. New Zealand have fallen off the hook just a bit after losing three games on the trot.
Australia, after starting off poorly, have got their campaign back on track with four consecutive wins. Pakistan and Afghanistan are also in with a shout for the final four but only if other results go in their favour.
The fourth week turned out to be a good one for the bowlers with a total of 129 wickets being taken by the 10 teams over the course of seven days.
On that note, let's take a look at 5 best bowling performances from Week four of the ongoing 2023 World Cup:
Note: Only games from Match 25 (ENG vs SL) to Match 32 (NZ vs SA) of the World Cup have been taken into consideration.
# 5 Tabraiz Shamsi- 4/60 vs Pakistan in Chennai
Belonging to a rare breed of spinners, chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi had to warm the benches for the first half of the tournament. However, he didn't fail to impress when he was given the opportunity.
Shamsi produced a match-winning spell against Pakistan and finished with four crucial wickets which was instrumental in keeping Pakistan down to a moderate score of 270.
Shamsi started with the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed with a tossed-up delivery and the swashbuckling batter could only end up top edging it straight to the long-on fielder.
Babar Azam was the next casualty as he just about got some glove on an attempted sweep which the keeper safely pouched.
Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Afridi were bamboozled by his wrong uns as he kept bowling in the right channels. He did go for a few boundaries in between but kept taking wickets at regular intervals.
# 4 Shaheen Afridi- 3/23 vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
One of the finest young fast bowlers going around, Shaheen Afridi was back to his fiery best against Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 3/23 in 9 overs.
While Afridi was picking up wickets prior to this encounter, he was far from his lethal best, especially with the new ball. There was a spring in his stride against Bangladesh and it was on display in his opening spell.
He got his 100th ODI wicket in the form of Tanzid Hasan with a swinging length delivery and followed it up with Shanto's wicket with the ball coming back into the left-hander.
Shaheen bowled brilliantly in the middle overs and mixed it up well with some slower cutters. He came back in his 2nd spell and castled Mahmudullah with arguably the best ball of the match.
It was Akramesque which swung late and thudded onto the base of the stumps. Pakistan managed to skittle Bangladesh out for 204 and went onto win the match by 7 wickets.
# 3 Fazalhaq Farooqi- 4/34 vs Sri Lanka in Pune
While Afghanistan have always been blessed with world-class spinners, it was a fast bowler who made it to this list due to an exceptional performance against Sri Lanka.
Fazalhaq Farooqi, who made way for Noor Ahmad against Pakistan, didn't allow the ouster to affect his performance against Sri Lanka. He finished with figures of 4/34 and restricted Sri Lanka down to a below-par score of 241.
Farooqi was spot on with the new ball and got it to move back into both the openers. He accounted for Karunaratne with a booming inswinger and kept things tight in his first spell.
He was at his absolute best in his final spell, bagging three more wickets to finish with four crucial scalps. He accounted for a well-set Charith Asalanka before finishing with the wickets of Angelo Mathews and Maheesh Theekshana. On the back of his effort, Afghanistan went on to chase the target down with seven wickets in hand.
# 2 Paul van Meekeren- 4/23 vs Bangladesh in Kolkata
Despite being the only associate nation participating in this World Cup, Netherlands have played like a team that belongs to this level. After defeating South Africa, they stormed past another Test-playing nation Bangladesh to register their second win of the competition.
Fast bowler Paul van Meekeren, who has been a match-winner for the Dutch produced another magical spell against Bangladesh. The Orange Army had scored a competitive 230 after being put into bat.
Bangladesh needed a steady start but they kept losing wickets at regular intervals right from the outset. Meekeren kept hitting the hard lengths and made life difficult for the Bangladesh middle-order batters.
He accounted for Shanto and Shakib Al Hasan in quick succession and it was always a mountain too steep to climb for Bangladesh. Mahmudullah and Taskin Ahmed were his last two scalps as Bangladesh folded for a paltry 142 in the 43rd over.
# 1 Mohammed Shami- 4/22 vs England in Lucknow
What an impact Shami has made ever since his return to the playing XI. In just two matches, he has picked up nine wickets at an incredible average and strike rate.
He just ran riot against England and some of his deliveries were simply unplayable as the defending champions capitulated yet again, losing their fifth game of the World Cup.
As they were defending a score of 229, India needed early wickets and it was provided by Bumrah. Shami came as the first change and worked over Ben Stokes with a sensational set of 10 deliveries.
He had just no idea which way the ball was swinging and was eventually castled for a 10-ball nought. Shami then hurried Bairstow with a good-length delivery which the latter chopped onto his stumps.
Shami then came back to get a nick off Moeen Ali in his second spell and ended with the wicket of Adil Rashid as it pitched on a fuller length and swung back into the batter to clatter his stumps. India eventually went on to win the match by 100 runs.