5 times Shaheen Shah Afridi rocked the opposition in the first over
Shaheen Shah Afridi has made quite a name for himself. As the leader of Pakistan’s bowling attack, Shaheen has emerged as one of the best seamers in the world at the moment.
One of the many reasons why he is such a joy to watch is the fact that he can get the ball to move either way at high pace, and more often than not, he strikes in the first over to break the back of opposition teams.
As has been the trend over the last two years, Shaheen runs in with the new ball and targets the stumps with the full ball and more often than not strikes. His first over has become an event in itself.
Here we take a look at five times Shaheen Shah Afridi rocked the opposition in the first over:
#5 2 wickets vs Manchester Originals
Shaheen Shah Afridi sprinted in with the new ball and hurled a full, fast delivery at Phil Salt. The right-hander looked to drive it down the gound, the ball seamed past the inside edge, smashed the pads and Salt was sent back.
He then sent down another searing yorker and Laurie Evans looked clueless and lost his balance as his pads were blown off. Shaheen had struck twice in two balls.
#4 2 wickets vs New Zealand
Pakistan were defending 194 against New Zealand. Tom Lathan took strike and Shaheen ran in with the new ball. It was length ball that had some shape, Latham tried to go for the drive and the ball took the splice and lobbed to Shadab Khan at backward point.
Will Young took strike as Shaheen had found his line and length. He dished out a length ball on off stump and angled it across the right-hander. Young look to tap it fine, but the outside edge carried through to the wicket-keeper.
#3 1 wicket vs India
This was the big India vs Pakistan match at the T20 World Cup in Dubai. Rohit Sharma took guard as Shaheen got the full ball to deviate just a touch and trapped the right-hander bang in front. It was just the start Pakistan wanted as Shaheen ended with three wickets.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan chased down the target and Pakistan broke the World Cup jinx with a 10-wicket win.
#2 2 wickets vs Northern (Pakistan)
Shaheen Shah Afridi was in his elements again. Bowling first, Afridi accounted for Ali Imran in the first over with a yorker that swing in late. Ali played all across the line and lost his balance and was trapped in front.
He continued bowling full and this time, the ball swevred back in after pitching and went through the gate to uproot Haider Ali’s stumps.
#1 4 wickets vs Warwickshire
In the match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Shaheen Shah Afridi showcased his class once again while defending a target of 169. He started by getting the better of Warwickshire captain Alex Davis for a golden duck, trapping him plumb in front of the stumps after conceding five wides with his first delivery. He just got started, he then clean bowled Chris Benjamin with the very next ball.
pic.twitter.com/wvibWa17zA twitter.com/VitalityBlast/…Shaheen Afridi, you cannot do that!! 💥 pic.twitter.com/wvibWa17zA twitter.com/VitalityBlast/…
And then, he claimed the wicket of left-arm batter Dan Mousley, caught in the covers, with just one run to his name. It did not end there, Afridi smashed Ed Barnard’s stumps for a first-ball duck as the Pakistan star claimed 4 wickets in the first over.