Pakistan’s all-rounder Shahid Afridi has overtook Anil Kumble’s record of 337 wickets after 271 ODIs.
By Rajesh Kumar
Afridi acheived the feat in a match, which Afghanistan lost by seven wickets to Pakistan. This was Afghanistan’s first-ever one-day international against a Test-playing nation in Sharjah. Statistical Highlights
Afridi has overtaken Anil Kumble’s tally of 337 wickets at 30.89 in 271 ODIs
Afridi’s tally of 338 wickets at 32.88 is bettered only by two Pakistanis in ODIs - Wasim
Akram (502) and Waqar Younis (416). Overall, Afridi’s tally is the eighth highest in ODIs.
Afridi is the third bowler after Scotland’s Josh Davey and Ireland’s Alex Cusack to take five wickets in an innings against Afghanistan in ODIs.
Afridi has received his 28th Man of the Match award in ODIs. He has equalled Saeed Anwar’s tally. Both now share a record for MOM awards in ODIs.
Afghanistan have won eleven and lost eight out of 19 played in ODIs - winning % 57.89.
Afghanistan’s seven-wicket defeat is their second biggest in ODIs, next only to the eight-wicket loss to Kenya at Nairobi (Gym.) on October 11, 2010.
Shahid Afridi’s first five-wicket haul against Afghanistan is his eighth in ODIs.
Afridi’s eight instances of five wickets or more in an innings have been exceeded by three bowlers in ODIs - Waqar Younis (13), Muttiah Muralitharan (10) and Brett Lee (9).
Afridi has completed his 75 wickets at 28.97 runs apiece in 69 matches in UAE.
Afridi’s aforesaid tally is the fourth highest in UAE - the top three bowlers are Wasim Akram (122), Waqar Younis (114) and Muttiah Muralitharan (82).
Afridi’s 5 for 36 is his second five-wicket haul at Sharjah. He had bagged five wickets for 35 runs against Sri Lanka on November 20, 2011.
Afridi has captured five wickets or more in an innings six times at neutral venues - the second best tally, next only to Waqar Younis (7).
Younis Khan (70 not out) has recorded his 46th fifty in ODIs - his first against Afghanistan.
Imran Farhat (52) has registered his 11th fifty in ODIs - his first against Afghanistan.
Just as many people (including experts) believe that Viv Richards was better batsman than Tendulkar even though Tendulkar has every record in front of his name, but has this stopped people from praising (and in some cases worshiping) Tendulkar?
Its pretty clear that Kumble the bowler was better than Afridi specially in longer format. Afridi has his own value in limited over format that can not be denied no matter what.
As far as my chota sa knowledge goes he joined Pak team as a leg spinner as replacement for someone in the tournament going on in Kenya and hit the fastest century in his first match. He joined as a spinner not as a batsmen.
Waleed, just a general question. How do you think Afridi compares to Kumble as a bowler? :D
In test matches Kumble, in ODI's Afridi. Both brilliant bowlers in their own right and their own speciality. I wouldnt say one was better than the other.
Kumble was a genuine leg spinner when he came .....While Afridi was never a bowler but now he has improved alot
You cant compare two bowlers of different era
tsk tsk... Waleed... Afridi was always a bowler first! he was just thrust into batting due to a couple of successful stints with the bat and therein was his downfall in the past decade. Once he returned to bowling at a more regular basis, he proved his true worth.
Just as many people (including experts) believe that Viv Richards was better batsman than Tendulkar even though Tendulkar has every record in front of his name, but has this stopped people from praising (and in some cases worshiping) Tendulkar?
Its pretty clear that Kumble the bowler was better than Afridi specially in longer format. Afridi has his own value in limited over format that can not be denied no matter what.
I agree Viv Richards is head and shoulders the greatest batsman of our era esp. when it comes to playing and dominating pace bowlers. No one can thrash or intimidate fast bowers like him and we are talking of an era in which there was no restriction on bouncers per batsman per over and no neutral umpires. He had brilliant reflexes and supreme confidence as exemplified by the fact that he never wore a helmet. I don't need to look at stats to know how great Viv was. It is about quality not quantity. Having said that Viv was n't the best player of spin IMO. Besides there were/are other batsmen who're probably better players than Viv in pressure situations
**Best batsmen of pace bowlers IMO (in no particular order after top three)
**- Viv Richards
- Gordon Greenidge (his statistical record does not do justice to his talent)
- Adam Gilchrist
Gavaskar (13 test hundreds against the mighty Windies of the 70s & 80s confirms his class)
Ponting
Zaheer (early years)
Sachin (early years)
Inzi (again statistical record does not do justice to his talent)
tsk tsk... Waleed... Afridi was always a bowler first! he was just thrust into batting due to a couple of successful stints with the bat and therein was his downfall in the past decade. Once he returned to bowling at a more regular basis, he proved his true worth.
I have to completely disagree....yes afridi played his first match as bowler but he was only 16 with almost no healthy first class experience...what I am trying to say that it is not like he had played over 40 first class matches with 150 wickets as a leg-break spinner and was included into the team to fill the gap as a specialist leg break spinner...that was absolutely not the case.. upon his debut, his leg break skills were as unknown as were his batting skills ... he was a bit of both and that is how he was known...a logical question would be why was he selected into the team at the first place when his batting and bowling skills both were sort of unproven? frankly speaking he got into the team because of the regional politics and quota representation..after zakir khan, there was zero presence from NWFP in our national team for a very long time and afridi was pushed into the team for political reasons more than anything else.... so to call him "a specialist spinner upon his debut" is a misstatement and distortion of our cricket history.
ehsan bhai, this is not historically correct… from what I know from my lahorie cricket circles of those days he was included for “whatever” reasons…see my response to lucid..may be I am wrong…
From what I can recall he was playing in Windies for Pak A and had to be flown our to join the team as a replacement spinner. Rest is history as he hit the fastest century.
from Wikipedia:
**In October 1996 at the age of sixteen Afridi was drafted into the ODI team during the four-nation Sameer Cup 1996–97 as a leg spinneras a replacement for the injured Mushtaq Ahmed.[SUP][6]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP]**He made his debut on 2 October against Kenya, however he didn’t bat and went wicketless.[SUP][7]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP] In the next match against Sri Lanka, Afridi batted at number three in the role of a pinch-hitter. In his first international innings, Afridi broke the record for fastest century in ODI cricket, reaching his hundred from 37 balls. The eleven sixes he struck also equalled the record for most in an ODI innings.[SUP][8]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP][SUP][nb 1]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Aged 16 years and 217 days, Afridi became the youngest player to score an ODI century.[SUP][10]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP] Pakistan posted a total of 371, at the time the second-highest in ODIs, and won by 82 runs; Afridi was named man of the match.[SUP][8]](Shahid Afridi - Wikipedia)[/SUP]
Just as many people (including experts) believe that Viv Richards was better batsman than Tendulkar even though Tendulkar has every record in front of his name, but has this stopped people from praising (and in some cases worshiping) Tendulkar?
Its pretty clear that Kumble the bowler was better than Afridi specially in longer format. Afridi has his own value in limited over format that can not be denied no matter what.
Having watched both Richards and Tendulkar, they are both awesome as batsmen but Tendulkar edges Richards as a batsmen. No one comes near to Tendi in batting.
lol.. my question was NOT a serious one.. and was only meant to pareshan the afridi fan boy :D
well you shd know sharabee bhai, we take our cricket very seriously on this forum!!! lol... but seriosuly this is THE best forum out there when it comes to discussion on cricket...pakpassion is not bad either but no one come close go KK in terms of quality....
ehsan bhai's hidden likeness for Afridi has finally revealed (unintentionally though). :p
As far as Kumbal is concerned, he was an effective bowler in his own way. His bowl will never spin, the batman was always confused which way its going to turn. But it won't, until few overs later. It is said that his every 26th delivery would spin and thats the one he used to take wicket on. It was quiet frustrating for batsman, as after playing 25 straight balls he was sure of impotency of the bowler, only to get out on first spinning one.
