After his 18-wicket haul during the Test series against the West Indies in Jamaica, Shaheen Shah Afridi has become the fastest bowler in the Test format in 2021 as of now.
Pakistan’s Hasan Ali (32), England’s James Anderson (29), West Indies’ Kemar Roach (27), and South Africa’s Anrich Nortje (25) follow the fast bowler who has bagged a total of 37 wickets.
Following his outstanding performance in the recently finished series against the West Indies, Shaheen has now achieved a career-high ICC Test ranking.
Read more: ‘Stop worrying about Shaheen Afridi’s workload’ – head coach Misbah
During the second Test match, Shaheen contributed to the West Indies’ batting collapse in both innings, taking 10 wickets in the process.
The left-arm pacer has climbed ten places to number eight in the MRF ICC Test bowler rankings. Shaheen Afridi was ranked number 18 in the bowler rankings before the Test began.
He is also the first Pakistani fast bowler to earn a 10-wicket match tally in the West Indies since May 2000. Wasim Akram, who took 11/110 at St. John’s, was the only Pakistani fast bowler to accomplish it.
After Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Muhammad Zahid, Shaheen is also the youngest Pakistani fast bowler to take a 10-wicket match figure at the age of 21 years and 136 days.
In the two-match series, the 21-year-old left-arm fast bowler grabbed 18 wickets, the most by a Pakistani fast bowler in a two-Test series. Mohammad Abbas took 17 wickets against Australia in 2018 and Mohammad Asif took 17 wickets against Sri Lanka in 2006.
Previously, Googly master Saqlain Mushtaq grabbed 20 wickets against India in 1999, and Mushtaq Ahmed took 18 wickets twice in a two-match series. This puts Shaheen Shah Afridi in a tie with Mushtaq for the most wickets taken by a Pakistani bowler (of any style) in a two-match Test series.
