Shaheen Afridi on the brink of becoming Pakistan's 1st bowler to achieve this record vs Bangladesh

Shaheen Afridi is all set to lead the pace attack of the Pakistan cricket team in the upcoming two-match Test against Bangladesh at home.

After a disappointing exit in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Pakistan is set to kick off their 2024–25 season with a crucial Test series against Bangladesh.

This home Test series, which could prove crucial for the Pakistan cricket team’s World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 ambitions, will kick off on August 21 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with the second and final Test slated to be held at the National Stadium in Karachi from August 30.

Shaheen Afridi eyes WTC history as Pakistan set 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 whitewash 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 alive for a spot in the WTC 2023-25 final.

They are currently sitting in the fifth position in the WTC points table. One of the key players to watch in the Pakistan versus Bangladesh Test series is the dynamic pacer, Shaheen Afridi.

Shaheen is on the brink of a historic milestone during the home Test series against the Bangladesh cricket team this month in the ICC World Test Championship history.

The left-arm fast bowler, who has already claimed 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 in 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 into 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 in the WTC event.

Shaheen can join the elite list of bowlers if he takes nine wickets against Bangladesh

Currently, only 11 bowlers have taken 100 or more wickets in the WTC, with three Indians Ashwin (174), Jasprit Bumrah (110), and Ravindra Jadeja (102) being on the elite chart.

Australia is leading the chart with Nathan Lyon (187), Pat Cummins (175), Mitchell Starc (147), and Josh Hazlewood (109) being among the centurions in terms of the most number of wickets in the WTC.

Speaking about Pakistan, Shaheen is the leading wicket-taker for the country with 91 wickets in WTC, followed by the promising young pacer Naseem Shah, who has claimed 51 wickets.

However, Naseem, who sustained an injury during the Asia Cup 2023 clash against India, has not played a Test match since July 2023, when Pakistan faced Sri Lanka.

Notably, Bangladesh has already landed 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 release 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 Champions Trophy 2025 in February-March.