ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 (Match 36): Pakistan vs Afghanistan – Statistical Highlights

In a thrilling 2019 Cricket World Cup encounter at Leeds, Pakistan snatched a three-wicket victory (with two balls remaining) against Afghanistan.

Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib decided to bat first after winning the toss. In the first innings of this match, Afghanistan managed 227/9 (50 overs). In reply, Pakistan successfully chased down that target in 49.4 overs after losing seven wickets.

Brief Scores: Afghanistan – 227/9 in 50 overs (Asghar Afghan 42, Najibullah Zadran 42; Shaheen Shah Afridi 4/47)

Pakistan – 230/7 in 49.4 overs (Imad Wasim 49*, Babar Azam 45; Mohammad Nabi 2/23)

Result – Pakistan won by three wickets

Here are some of the statistical highlights of the match:

Team’s stats

Afghanistan

i) It was the second time when Afghanistan batted full 50 overs in a Cricket World Cup match. Their first such incident happened in early this edition, during the match against the home team England (at Manchester on 18th June 2019) where Afghanistan scored 247/8.

Players’ stats

Pakistan

i) By the end of this match, Wahab Riaz has taken 34 wickets in Cricket World Cup which is the equal of their former pace-bowling all-rounder Imran Khan’s CWC wickets (34 wickets). Among the Pakistan bowlers, only Wasim Akram picked up more CWC wickets than them as Akram took 55 CWC wickets.

ii) Playing this match at the age of 19 years and 84 days, the Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi had the bowling figures of 10-0-47-4. He is the youngest bowler in CWC history to claim a four-wicket haul. The previous record holder was Scotland pacer John Blain who delivered the bowling figures of 10-1-37-4 (against Bangladesh at Edinburgh on 24th May 1999) at the age of 20 years and 140 days. Also, the young Afridi’s bowling figures were the second best ODI bowling figures by a Pakistan bowler against Afghanistan. Former Pakistan leg-spinner Shahid Afridi is the record holder with the bowling figures of 10-0-36-5 (at Sharjah on 10th February 2012).

Afghanistan

i) By the end of this match, Afghanistan off-spinner Mohammad Nabi has taken 200 international wickets. After the leggie Rashid Khan (212 wickets), Nabi becomes the second Afghanistan bowler to pick up 200 international wickets.

ii) Afghanistan skipper Gulbadin Naib had the expensive bowling figures of 9.4-0-73-0. As a captain, Naib conceded most runs in the second innings of a CWC match. The previous record holder was the former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis with the bowling figures of 8.4-0-71-2 against India at Centurion on 1st March 2003.