Pakistan win by seven wickets after Shahid's fifer restricts minnows to 195 in the historic ODI
Pakistan win by seven wickets after Shahid's fifer restricts minnows to 195 in the historic ODIPakistan beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first-ever one-day international between the two countries at Sharjah Stadium yesterday. Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi took 5-36 to restrict Afghanistan to 195 before Pakistan romped home in the 38th over with Younis Khan hitting an unbeaten 70 and Imran Farhat scoring 52.
Shahid Afridi celebrates the wicket of Afghanistan captain Nawroz
Mangal at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday. Pic/AFPAfridi took four wickets in his first spell to derail Afghanistan -- who won the toss and batted -- from 54-1 to 101-5 before finishing with 5-36 in his 10 overs. Afridi also became the second spinner with the highest one-day wickets (338) behind Muttiah Muralitharan (534), surpassing India's Anil Kumble who had 333 wickets.
But despite Afridi's brilliance, the Afghan batsmen put up an excellent show and had they not lacked experience -- playing their first one-day international against a top nation -- they would have scored more.
Plenty of fireworksThere was plenty of fireworks on and off the field as Afghan batsmen hit six sixes during their innings which delighted the bumper 15,000-strong weekend crowd -- mostly Pakistan and Afghan expats. Paceman Umar Gul provided Pakistan with the early breakthrough when he caught Noor Ali (nine) off his own bowling. Gul and Wahab Riaz took two wickets each.u00a0
