Pakistan’s Rising Star Joins Elite Company After Historic ODI Performance

Emerging all-rounder Arafat Minhas of Pakistan has joined the esteemed company of Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, becoming only the third cricketer to score a half-century and take five wickets in a single One Day International (ODI). At the age of 21, Minhas made history during Pakistan's second match of the tri-series against England, contributing to an 87-run victory.

Playing only his fifth ODI since his debut against Australia in May 2023, Minhas showcased his batting skills, scoring an impressive 59 runs off 58 balls, including nine boundaries. His innings came at a crucial time when Pakistan was struggling at 133/5 after 27.3 overs. Minhas' performance, combined with Hasan Nawaz's aggressive 79, enabled Pakistan to post a competitive total of 302/9 in their 50 overs.

Minhas then continued his dominant performance with the ball, claiming six wickets for just 40 runs in 8.4 overs, leading England to fall 87 runs short of the target. The achievement makes Minhas the third Pakistani to achieve the rare ODI double, following Afridi and Razzaq. Afridi holds the record for being the first Pakistani to accomplish this feat, scoring 61 runs and taking 5/40 against England in Lahore in 2000, and remains the only cricketer in the world to achieve the milestone three times in ODI cricket.