WATCH: Star Pakistan cricketer, banned for spot-fixing, creates new Test record, becomes first player in 148 years to…
The second Test between Pakistan and South Africa at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi has been full of surprises and none more so than the home side’s selection of playing 11. Shan Masood’s side decided hand a debut cap to 38-year-old Asif Afridi for the second Test, in place of pacer Hasan Ali.
Afridi has been banned for spot-fixing by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) back in 2023 for a couple of years but the board ended his ban after just one year without giving any reason. On Wednesday, Afridi rewrote history by becoming the oldest player to claim a five-wicket haul on Test debut in 148 years, surpassing the record of his teammate Noman Ali on Day 3 of the Test. Noman was 34 years of age when he made his Test debut and claimed a five-wicket haul.
WATCH Asif Afridi claim a record-breaking five-wicket haul HERE…
Afridi claimed 5/79, but all-rounder Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada got reprieves to lift South Africa to lift South Africa to 404 and a lead of 71 runs in the first innings.
South Africa were trailing by 98 runs when they lost Marco Jansen, then Muthusamy and Maharaj combined to cut the first-innings deficit to 27 with an aggressive 71-run stand for the ninth wicket. Muthuswamy brought up his second Test fifty off 89 balls and put on another half-century partnership for the final wicket with Rabada, who scored his maiden Test fifty, to put the Proteas into the lead. Muthuswamy ended up unbeaten on 89 while Rabada had his Test best score of 71 runs.
Afridi, who finally earned a Test debut after performing impressively in the last couple of domestic seasons, ran through the middle-order after South Africa resumed on 185 for 4 on the third day. The left-arm spinner became only the sixth Pakistani slow bowler after Mohammad Nazir, Shahid Afridi, Bilal Asif, Noman Ali and Abrar Ahmed to grab a five-wicket haul in a debut Test.
He beat the Test record set by England legspinner Charles Marriott, who returned 5/37 on debut against West Indies in 1933 at the age of 37. His sliders baffled the South Africa batters as he struck of the fourth ball of Day 3, finding the outside edge of Kyle Verreynne’s (10) bat.
Tristan Stubbs (76) added eight to his overnight 68 before he was undone by another straight delivery as he tried to flick the left-arm spinner off the back foot and was out leg before wicket. The debutant then celebrated his five-wicket haul when Simon Harmer (2) went for a sweep but was struck on the back leg directly in front of the stumps.
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