Pakistan’s left-arm pacer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, achieved a milestone of claiming 300 wickets in international cricket during the second T20I against Ireland on Sunday.

This remarkable achievement comes in just 145 international matches, highlighting Afridi’s immense talent and impact across multiple formats of the game.

Afridi played a pivotal role by securing three crucial wickets on Sunday against Ireland.

The 24-year-old has been a force to reckon with in the cricketing world, showcasing his bowling prowess in One Day Internationals (ODIs) with 104 dismissals, Test cricket with an impressive tally of 113 wickets, and T20 Internationals with an outstanding record of 84 wickets.

Afridi’s achievement also places him among the youngest bowlers to reach 300 international wickets, joining the ranks of cricketing legends like Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq.

PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi congratulated Shaheen Afridi on his achievement and presented him with a shirt with ‘300’ printed on the back.

Youngest bowlers to reach 300 international wickets:

22y 117d – Waqar Younis
22y 164d – Saqlain Mushtaq
23y 265d – Rashid Khan
23y 285d – Kagiso Rabada
24y 36d – Shaheen Shah Afridi

In the same match, Pakistan’s wicketkeeper, Mohammad Rizwan, was awarded the Player of the Match accolade for his outstanding performance, scoring an unbeaten 75 runs off 46 balls. His innings, which included six fours and four sixes, played a crucial role in Pakistan’s successful chase of a target of 194 runs, leveling the series 1-1. With this award, Rizwan now holds the record for the most Player of the Match awards (12) in T20 Internationals for Pakistan.

Reflecting on the match, Rizwan emphasized the importance of adapting to conditions and the demands of the game, citing inspiration from renowned cricketer Virat Kohli.

“If you look at the average, you are an average player. If you look at the conditions and what the game demands that will make you better. We have learned a lot of things from Virat Kohli, I respect him,” he said in a post-match presentation after the win in the second T20I against Ireland.

“They played really well against us. It was not an easy chase because the Ireland bowlers knew their conditions better, they gave us a difficult time early on, but we decided that chasing 194, we have to attack. You’re always in pressure when you lose especially with World Cup around the corner,” he added.

The most POTM for Pakistan Men in T20Is:

Mohammad Rizwan – 12 (95 games)
Shadab Khan – 11 (98 games)
Shahid Afridi – 11 (98 games)
Mohammad Hafeez – 11 (119 games)
Babar Azam – 9 (116 games)