Shaheen, Brook praise Arafat Minhas after he joins Afridi and Razzaq in rare ODI feat

Pakistan’s Arafat Minhas delivered a performance to remember against England in the ongoing ODI tri-series, earning admiration from opposing captain Harry Brook and his own skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi after achieving a rare feat in the format.

The 21-year-old scored a crucial half-century before claiming six wickets to help Pakistan secure an emphatic 87-run victory at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Minhas’ achievement placed him alongside Pakistan legends Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq, becoming only the third player from the country to score a fifty and take five wickets in an ODI.

How did Minhas turn the match in Pakistan’s favour?

Pakistan were struggling at 133-5 when Minhas arrived at the crease in the 28th over, with England threatening to restrict the hosts to a modest total.

The young all-rounder responded with an attacking 59 off 58 deliveries, striking nine boundaries to revive the innings. His partnership with Hasan Nawaz, who top-scored with 79 off 74 balls, helped Pakistan recover from a difficult position.

Faheem Ashraf added a quickfire 39 off 26 balls, while Saad Baig contributed 35 as Pakistan finished with 302-9 in their allotted 50 overs.

Minhas then produced an even more decisive contribution with the ball. The left-arm spinner claimed career-best figures of 6-40 in 8.4 overs, dismantling England’s batting line-up as the visitors were dismissed for 215.

He removed Will Jacks and Adil Rashid in successive deliveries before running out Gus Atkinson to complete a memorable all-round performance.

Tom Banton’s 57 and Ben Duckett’s 45 offered some resistance, but England could not recover from Minhas’ devastating spell.

Which Pakistani legends had previously achieved the feat?

Minhas joined Afridi and Razzaq in an exclusive list of Pakistani cricketers who have scored a half-century and registered a five-wicket haul in the same ODI.

Afridi and Razzaq both achieved the rare feat in 2000, with Afridi scoring 61 runs and taking 5-40 against England in Lahore, while Razzaq contributed 70 runs and claimed five wickets for 48 against India.

Minhas achieved the milestone in only his fifth ODI appearance, having made his debut against Australia in May.

What did Brook say about the young all-rounder?

England captain Brook was impressed by Minhas’ contribution and admitted he had not realised the spinner was still under 21.

“Is he only 21? I didn’t know that. He’s a nice bowler and bowled very well,” Brook said.

“He was a standout performer by a mile. We’ve all seen videos of him, but we haven’t played against him much. I thought they fielded exceptionally well, too,” he added.

Brook also acknowledged that England could have been more aggressive against Minhas during their unsuccessful chase.

“We were pretty happy with restricting them to 300. We knew dew was going to play a factor, and it did. We were slightly careful against him, but we could look to put him under a little more pressure next time we play against him,” Brook stated.

How did Shaheen react to Minhas’ performance?

Pakistan captain Shaheen praised the youngster’s ability to contribute in both departments, describing him as a promising talent and a genuine all-rounder.

“The form of Arafat and fast bowlers is a good sign for us. Arafat is a very good talent, and he is a proper all-rounder, which bodes well for us. Hopefully, he will deliver for us in many more games in the future,” Shaheen said.

The victory marked Pakistan’s second consecutive win in the tri-series, with Minhas’ performance providing an encouraging sign for the hosts as they continue their preparations for the upcoming challenges.