Fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi emerged as the new star of Pakistan as the team defeated West Indies by 109 runs in the second Test match to tie the cricket series 1-1 at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica.
Skipper Babar Azam‘s Pakistan overcame rain and poor light and some late Caribbean fight to take the match convincingly and equal the series after the first Test loss.
The other bright spot for Pakistan was Fawad Alam’s 124 not out in the team’s first innings as it compiled a 302-run total to set the pace of the match.
But it was Shaheen Afridi, the six feet six inches tall bowler, who led the show with career-best figures of 6-51 to restrict West Indies to 150 in their first innings, and then followed it up with an impressive four for 43 in routing the home team for 219.
The left-arm quickie’s haul of ten wickets for 94 runs deservedly won him the Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards.
Afridi took 18 wickets in the series, thrilling Pakistani cricket fans, and raising hopes that the country – long a powerhouse of fast bowling – had finally found its new top fast bowler.
Since the retirement of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis – the famed two Ws – and the unceremonious departures of Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir, Pakistan have been looking for a mercurial fast bowler, who could make the difference and Afridi’s hard work and consistency in the series seems to have fulfilled the nations’ aspirations.
However, Pakistan were found wanting in the fielding department, which could be their Achilles heel when they bid for this year’s T20 World Cup.
But Babar Azam had a lot to seek solace from including his own batting after an embarrassing loss in the T20 series to the West Indies and lackluster showing against a moderately rated English side this summer.
