Shaheen Afridi is all set to lead Pakistan cricket team’s pace attack in the upcoming two-match Test against Bangladesh at home.
After a disappointing exit at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan are set to begin their 2024-25 season with a crucial Test series against Bangladesh.
This home Test series, which could prove crucial for Pakistan cricket team’s ambitions in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC), will begin on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the second and final Test scheduled to be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 30.
Shaheen Afridi looks back at WTC history as Pakistan prepare to host Bangladesh in crucial Test series
Pakistan, under the captaincy of Shan Masood, will be looking to bounce back from a dismal 0-3 defeat in their previous Test series against Australia earlier this year.
They are now eager to make a strong statement in front of their home crowd and keep their hopes of a place in the 2023-25 WTC Finals alive.
They currently occupy the fifth position in the WTC points table. One of the key players to watch out for in the Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh is the dynamic Shaheen Afridi.
Shaheen is on the verge of a historic milestone during the home Test series against the Bangladesh cricket team this month in the history of the ICC World Test Championship.
The left-arm fast bowler, who has already picked up 91 wickets in 24 Tests, needs just nine more scalps to become the first Pakistani bowler and 12th bowler in the world to reach 100 wickets at the WTC, and he can easily achieve this feat in the upcoming two-match Test series against the Tigers at home.
If Shaheen manages to take nine wickets in the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh, the star speedster will etch his name in the record books of WTC and Pakistan cricket history.
Achieving this feat would place Shaheen in an elite group of bowlers, joining the likes of India’s Ravichandran Ashwin and Australia’s Nathan Lyon who have already surpassed the century mark at the WTC event.
Shaheen can join the elite list of bowlers if he takes nine wickets against Bangladesh
Currently, only 11 players have taken 100 or more wickets at the WTC, with three Indians Ashwin (174), Jasprit Bumrah (110) and Ravindra Jadeja (102) being in the elite table.
Australia lead the table with Nathan Lyon (187), Pat Cummins (175), Mitchell Starc (147) and Josh Hazlewood (109) being among the centurions in terms of the most wickets at the WTC.
Talking about Pakistan, Shaheen is the country’s leading wicket-taker with 91 wickets in WTC, followed by the young and promising Naseem Shah, who has picked up 51 wickets.
However, Naseem, who sustained an injury during the 2023 Asia Cup clash against India, has not played a Test match since July 2023, when Pakistan took on Sri Lanka.
It is noteworthy that Bangladesh have already arrived in Pakistan for the upcoming Test series amid the ongoing political crisis in their home country. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also announced the sale of tickets for the first Test in Rawalpindi.
However, the second Test in Karachi will be held without spectators as the venue is currently undergoing maintenance in preparation for the upcoming 2025 Champions Trophy in February-March.
