During the fifth T20I match against New Zealand, Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi paid tribute to the legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar after taking his first wicket.
Shaheen, aged 24, knocked down the stumps of Tom Blundell, marking his 50th wicket in T20 matches. Rather than his usual celebration, Shaheen imitated Akhtar’s iconic gesture by spreading his arms and running. Notably, Shoaib Akhtar was present at the Gaddafi Stadium, where he presented the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy to the fans.
The trophy made its way to Pakistan on Wednesday night and was showcased in front of the National Assembly on Thursday.
Shoaib Akhtar is widely hailed as one of cricket’s greatest bowlers. He holds the record for the fastest delivery ever recorded at 161.3km/h.
In his career, the Rawalpindi Express represented Pakistan in 46 Test matches, claiming 178 wickets with an economy rate of 3.37.
In ODIs, he participated in 163 matches, taking 247 wickets with an economy rate of 4.76. However, he had limited appearances in T20Is for Pakistan, featuring in only 15 matches and taking 19 wickets.
Despite his legendary status, Akhtar faced several injuries during his career. He missed the 2007 World Cup due to injury, which led to Pakistan’s early exit from the group stage.
The 2011 World Cup in India marked Akhtar’s final international tournament for Pakistan. However, he only played in the group stage matches and was not part of the team for the knockout stages.
