Pakistan Cruise to Five-Wicket Victory While Star Pacer Creates History in Trinidad
Port of Spain, Trinidad – Pakistan’s premier fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi rewrote cricket history during Pakistan’s emphatic five-wicket triumph over the West Indies in the first ODI at Brian Lara Stadium on Friday evening.
Historic Bowling Milestone
The 24-year-old left-arm speedster created history by becoming the fastest bowler to claim 131 ODI wickets, reaching the landmark in just 65 matches. Afridi’s devastating four-wicket spell (4/51) dismantled the West Indies batting order while establishing a new world record, surpassing Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan who previously held the milestone with 128 wickets in 65 ODIs.
Pakistan’s Ruthless Display
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan watched his attack dismantle the hosts for 280. Despite resilient half-centuries from Evin Lewis, Shai Hope, and Roston Chase, the West Indies failed to build substantial partnerships against Pakistan’s relentless bowling assault.
Afridi spearheaded the attack with his record-breaking figures, while Naseem Shah provided excellent support with 3/55. The bowling duo’s combined seven-wicket haul left the Caribbean side struggling to post a challenging total.
Masterful Run Chase
Pakistan’s pursuit of 284 was anchored by a brilliant unbeaten 63 from Hasan Nawaz, whose composed innings included crucial boundaries and a towering six. The left-handed batsman delivered the decisive blow with a boundary in the penultimate over, guiding Pakistan home with seven balls to spare.
Captain Mohammad Rizwan contributed a vital 53 runs, providing the foundation for Pakistan’s successful chase. The visitors reached 284-5, completing a comprehensive victory that extended their momentum from the preceding T20 series triumph in Florida.
Player Reactions
“At the start, the spinners were great, but once the dew came in it got easier,” Nawaz told broadcasters after receiving the Player of the Match award.
West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged the challenging conditions while pointing to areas for improvement: “It was tough to play in conditions like this, and the toss had a big Please re write this story and cread head lines .
part. Maybe we could’ve got more runs. Credit to our bowlers for fighting at the end. We needed to score more in the middle overs.”
Series Context
This victory gives Pakistan a crucial 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series, building on their momentum from the preceding T20 series triumph in Florida, which they won 2-1.
Looking Ahead
The second ODI is scheduled for Sunday at the same venue, with the series concluding on Tuesday. Pakistan will be confident of extending their dominance, while the West Indies will need to regroup quickly to level the series on home soil.
