With 4-51 in the first ODI of the three-match series against West Indies at Tarouba, Shaheen Shah Afridi overtook Mohammed Shami to reach the top of the strike rates chart in men’s ODIs.
Pakistan bowled out the West Indies for 280 after Mohammad Rizwan won the toss and opted to field. Shaheen picked up 4-51 and Naseem Shah 3-55 as Evin Lewis (60), Shai Hope (55), and Roston Chase (53) all scored fifties.
Babar Azam (47), Rizwan (53), Hasan Nawaz (63 not out), and Hussain Talat (41 not out) then chased the target with five wickets and seven balls in hand. Pakistan were 180-5 at one point, but Nawaz and Talat ensured there was no further hiccup.
After his four wickets, Shaheen now has the best strike rate (25.4) among all bowlers from Full Members with a hundred-wicket cut-off. He went past Shami (25.8), the only other one with a sub-26 strike rate.
1st ODI, West Indies vs Pakistan
vs
- Ball by ball Over
Best strike rates in men’s ODIs among ICC Full Members (100 wickets)
| Bowler | Team | Matches | Wickets | Average | Economy | SR |
| Shaheen Shah Afridi | Pakistan | 65 | 131 | 24.01 | 5.65 | 25.4 |
| Mohammed Shami | India | 108 | 206 | 24.05 | 5.58 | 25.8 |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 127 | 244 | 23.40 | 5.26 | 26.4 |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 87 | 152 | 21.86 | 4.80 | 26.6 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 66 | 108 | 24.06 | 5.08 | 27.3 |
- Bilal Khan of Oman has the best strike rate (24.8) with the same cut-off if one includes all nations.
Shaheen has the most wickets after 65 ODIs
Shaheen’s 131 wickets are also the most by anyone after their first 65 ODIs. In fact, he is the only one with more than two wickets per ODI at this stage of his career. Mitchell Starc and Rashid Khan, the previous record holders, had 129 wickets apiece.
Shaheen will also hold the record after 66 games the moment he is included in the XI (that one currently stands at 129 as well, by Starc and Rashid). To break the 67-game record, he needs to go past Starc’s 133.
