Pakistani fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi continues to showcase his fiery prowess in the ongoing Men’s Hundred season in England. The 23-year-old has already secured six wickets in five matches for the Welsh Fire team. Afridi’s searing pace was again evident during the clash between Welsh Fire and Southern Brave on August 12 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
One of Afridi’s intense deliveries was captured by the helmet camera of Southern Brave’s batsman Finn Allen. The footage, shared on Twitter, highlights Afridi’s exceptional form ahead of the crucial ICC ODI World Cup scheduled for later this year.
Pov: you are facing Shaheen. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/j2OYRzLXOC
— umair (@xdselenophile) August 12, 2023
On the 15th ball of Southern Brave’s inning, Afridi unleashed a short-pitched delivery to Allen, showcasing the lightning speed fast bowlers possess and the split-second reaction time batters have.
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Fin Allen attempted to play a ramp shot to clear the wicketkeeper’s head for a boundary, resulting in the ball hitting the top edge of the bat and racing to the third-man region for a four. Astonished by the helmet cam perspective, a fan likened the trajectory of the ball to that of a “bullet.”
It felt like a bullet.
— umair (@xdselenophile) August 12, 2023
Shaheen Afridi’s blazing pace even drew comparisons to Pakistani legend Shoaib Akhtar, who holds the record for the fastest delivery in cricket history (161.3 km/hr or 100.2 mph).
Now imagine Shoaib Akhtar
— 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙚𝙣 (@dukemateen) August 12, 2023
Among the comments, an Indian fan predicted either Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav hitting such a delivery for a six.
Rohit Sharma or SKY could have easily played this ball for six 😂🔥
— Dhruv (@45thhundredwhen) August 13, 2023
During the game, Afridi bowled ten deliveries against Southern Brave but failed to claim a wicket. Nevertheless, he proved economical, conceding only 10 runs. Southern Brave chose to field after winning the toss in the 100-ball contest. Welsh Fire encountered a significant collapse, with opener Stevie Eskinazi being the primary contributor, scoring 38 runs off 34 balls.
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Ultimately, Welsh Fire managed 87 runs in 100 balls, with Tymal Mills taking a birthday hat-trick. In response, the duo of Allen and Devon Conway provided a blazing start for Southern Brave, amassing a 53-run partnership. Allen departed after scoring 31 runs, and Captain Leus du Plooy joined forces with Conway to secure the chase. The unbeaten partnership successfully achieved the target in 59 balls.
