ISLAMABAD: Shaheen Afridi beats Smith, Rohit to script huge T20 world record

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan pace sensation Shaheen Afridi on Sunday beat Australia’s Steve Smith and India captain Rohit Sharma to script a huge world record in T20 cricket after he led Lahore Qalandars to their maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) title win against Multan Sultans at the Gaddafi Stadium. 

With the title win, 21-year-old Afridi became the youngest captain to win a major T20 league in the world, beating Smith, who at the age of 22 had led Sydney Sixers to a win in Big Bash League in 2012, and Rohit, who had guided Mumbai Indians to their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) victory in 2013 at the age of 26. 

Lahore had failed to qualify for the playoffs in five of their first six seasons and finished as the runners up in 2020 before winning the elusive trophy in 2022.

Opting to bat first in front of their home crowd, Lahore lost three wickets in the powerplay before Mohammed Hafeez’s 46-ball 69 revived the innings allowing Harry Brook and David Wiese to add the finishing touches. Brook laced two boundaries and three sixes in his 22-ball 41 while Wiese hit another 8-ball 28 as Lahore finished with 180 for five in 20 overs.

In reply, the Sultans, who had finished top of the points table in the league stage with just one defeat, had gotten off to a steady start but the middle-order crumbled under pressure. Pacer Zaman Khan struck twice to rattle the middle order before Afridi’s triple blow to the lower order ended Multan Sultans’ struggle, folding them for 138 run in 19.3 overs.

“It’s a great achievement. We have been waiting for 6 years and I want to thank the Lahore crowd. They have come out in numbers and supported us throughout. A lot of people supported me, Hafeez guided me during lot of pressure moments so thanks to all who supported me. The fight we showed as a team throughout the tournament is really fantastic and we had that attitude to fight till the last ball,” Afridi said in the post-match presentation.