Shaheen Afridi Joins Elite List with First-Ball Wicket vs Australia

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added his name to a rare list on Tuesday after taking a wicket with the first ball of the second ODI against Australia at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Opening the bowling for Pakistan, Shaheen dismissed Australia batter Alex Carey with the first delivery of the match. Carey was bowled, giving Pakistan an early breakthrough.

With that wicket, Shaheen became the third Pakistan captain to take a wicket with the first ball of an ODI, as per a News18 report.

The first Pakistan captain to achieve the feat was Wasim Akram, who dismissed Zimbabwe batter Andy Flower with the opening delivery of an ODI in Karachi on December 24, 1993.

Waqar Younis became the second Pakistan captain on the list when he removed England batter Marcus Trescothick with the first ball of an ODI at Headingley in Leeds on June 17, 2001.

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan was the first player from the country to take a wicket with the opening ball of an ODI. He achieved the feat against India in Sharjah on March 22, 1985, when he dismissed Ravi Shastri with the first delivery of the match. Imran went on to take five more wickets in that game and finished with figures of 6 for 14.

Shaheen is also now the third Pakistan bowler, after Wasim Akram and Mohammad Irfan, to take a wicket with the first ball of an ODI on more than one occasion. He had previously achieved the milestone in April 2022 when he dismissed Australia's Travis Head with the opening delivery of an ODI.