Lahore, June 2: Pakistan captain and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi achieved a rare feat during the Pakistan vs Australia second ODI at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Afridi gave Pakistan the perfect start by taking a wicket on the very first ball of the match. With the breakthrough, Afridi joined Pakistan fast-bowling legends Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in a rare record as only the third captain in Pakistan history to dismiss a batter with the opening delivery in an ODI.
Australia opener Alex Carey was dismissed for a first-ball duck after attempting to cut a short delivery from Afridi. The ball took an inside edge and crashed into the stumps, leaving Australia in trouble right at the start. The early wicket lifted the home crowd and gave Pakistan momentum in a crucial match of the series.
The feat had previously been achieved by Wasim Akram in 1993 against Zimbabwe in Karachi. Akram removed Andy Flower with the very first ball of the match.
Eight years later, Waqar Younis joined the list when he dismissed Marcus Trescothick on the opening ball of an ODI against England at Headingley in 2001. Afridi has now added his name to that elite group, 25 years after Waqar's achievement.
The Pakistan skipper has built a reputation for providing early breakthroughs with the new ball and Tuesday's strike was another example of his ability to put pressure on opposition batters from the very beginning. His wicket not only created a record but also put Australia on the back foot in the opening over.
Despite the early setback, Australia managed to recover through important contributions from captain Josh Inglis and Cameron Green. Inglis scored 51 runs from 74 balls, while Green made 53 off 92 deliveries. Their half-centuries helped Australia rebuild the innings on a dry Gaddafi Stadium pitch that offered assistance to both spinners and seamers.
Pakistan's bowlers kept things under control for most of the innings and restricted Australia to 231/9 in their 50 overs. With the visitors posting a fighting total, Pakistan headed into the run chase with confidence after another strong bowling performance led by captain Shaheen Afridi.
