By IANS,
Colombo : Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi with his match winning five for 23 against Canada became the seventh bowler to pick up three consecutive four-wicket hauls in ODIs.
Afridi Thursday joined his team mate Abdul Razzaq and coach Waqar Younis, Shane Warne, Vasbert Drakes, Khurram Chohan and Narendra Hirwani in achieving the feat. Younis did it thrice.
Afridi has become the first Pakistani and the fourth overall to bag five-wicket haul twice in the World Cup. Australia’s Gary Gilmour, Sri Lanka’s Asantha de Mel, and West Indies’ Drakes are the other three bowlers to achieve the feat.
Afridi is also the first bowler to take two five-wicket hauls in the World Cup while leading the side – 5 for 16 against Kenya at Hambantota on Feb 23, 2011 and 5 for 23 against Canada at Colombo RPS on March 3, 2011.
The following are the other highlights of the match:
Canada’s Rizwan Cheema (2/33) has produced his best bowling performance in the world cup.
Afridi has claimed 14 wickets at 5.21 runs apiece in three games – the most by a bowler in the 2011 edition of the world cup. He is all set to surpass Wasim Akram’s tally of 18 wickets (ave.18.77) in ten games in 1991-92.
Afridi’s world cup record is splendid – 21 wickets in 15 world cup games at an average of 16.76 with a strike rate of 23.0
Afridi has captured 220 wickets at an average of 25.55 in 177 ODIs for winning cause. His tally includes five instances of five wickets in an innings.
Afridi has been adjudged the Man of the Match 24 times in ODIs, including two in the World Cup – both in the 2011 edition.
With a loss to Pakistan by 46 runs, Canada have lost eleven ODIs in a row between February 15, 2003 and March 3, 2011, surpassing the Netherlands’ tally of 10 defeats in a row in the World Cup between February 17, 1996 and February 28, 2003. Only Zimbabwe have lost more World Cup games in a row than Canada – 18 between June 11, 1983 and March 14, 1992.
Pakistan (184) have lost all ten wickets against Canada for the first time in ODIs.
The 60-run stand between Surkari and Hansra for the fourth wicket is Canada’s best for any wicket against Pakistan in the world cup.
Canada’s highest world cup partnership for the fourth wicket is 86 between Ian Billcliff and Joe Harris against Kenya at Cape Town Feb 15, 2003.
Prior to the 2011 competition, Kapil Dev was the only bowler to bag five wickets in an innings in the world cup as captain – 5 for 43 against Australia at Nottingham on June 13, 1983.
Afridi became the first bowler to claim three consecutive four wicket hauls in the world cup and also the only one to accomplish the feat in the same world cup. Besides his two instances of five wickets in an innings, he had taken four for 34 against Sri Lanka at Colombo RPS on February 26, 2011
Harvir Baidwan (3/35) has produced his best world cup performance – his second highest in ODIs, next only to the 3 for 24 against Kenya at Schiedam, Netherlands on July 9, 2010.
Baidwan has claimed seven wickets at 20.14 runs apiece in three games – the most by a Canadian bowler in the 2011 competition.