Pakistani fast bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, showcased his exceptional skills by taking four wickets in the opening over of an innings, thereby establishing a remarkable new world record. No cricketer in the history of the game has ever accomplished such a feat before. Renowned for his impressive performances in the first over, Shaheen exhibited both speed and precision to outclass the Warwickshire batsmen during his appearance for Nottinghamshire in the T20 Blast 2023.
The dismissal spree commenced with Alex Davies (0) falling victim to Shaheen's first delivery, followed by Chris Benjamin (0) on the second ball. Although Shaheen missed out on a hat-trick, he claimed his third wicket of the over by dismissing Dan Mousley (1) on the fifth ball. Finally, on the last ball of the over, Shaheen removed Ed Barnard without allowing him to score a single run, thereby etching his name into the record books.
Heroics in vain
In spite of Shaheen's outstanding performance, Warwickshire emerged victorious by a narrow margin of 2 wickets, thanks to Robert Yates' impressive T20 innings. Yates displayed his batting prowess by smashing 65 runs off 46 deliveries, which included 3 fours and 5 sixes. Alongside him, small but valuable contributions from Glenn Maxwell (19 off 12 balls), Jacob Bethell (27 off 21 balls), and Jake Lintott (27 off 22 balls) played a crucial role in Warwickshire's triumph.
This outcome bodes well for Shaheen as he prepares to make his return to the Pakistan Test squad. Last year in July, during a match in Sri Lanka, he sustained a knee injury while fielding in the deep, which prevented him from participating in any Test matches since then. With his recent impressive form, Shaheen aims to capitalize on his momentum and contribute significantly to Pakistan's success in the upcoming series against Sri Lanka in July. As this year marks the ODI World Cup, Shaheen's performance will hold immense importance for Pakistan's campaign in this prestigious tournament.
