Afridi completes 500 international wickets

DHAKA: Allrounder Shahid Afridi completed his 500 wickets in international cricket playing against Australia in the World Twenty20 cricket cup here at the Shere Bangla National Stadium Mirpur on Sunday.

He claimed his 500th wicket dismissing Glenn Maxwell who played a thunderous innings of 74 from only 33 balls smashing six towering sixes and seven fours. He was going to be a threat but Afridi showed him the way back to the pavilion and thus paved the way for an exciting victory for Pakistan.

Afridi captured two wickets in this match in four overs taking his tally to 501 in all three formats of international cricket.

Following is the breakup of wickets:
48 in 27 Tests
378 in 378 One-day Internationals
75 in 72 Twenty20 Internationals

Shahid Afridi is the fourth Pakistani bowler to take 500 or more wickets in all formats of international cricket after Wasim Akram (916), Waqar Younis (789) and Imran Khan (544).

The world record of taking the most international wickets was held by Sri Lanka’s off-spinner Muttia Muralitharan who bagged 1,347 wickets. He was followed by Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne who took 1001 wickets. They were the only two bowlers to take 1000 or more wickets.

Shahid Afridi is the 27th bowler in the world to get 500 or more wickets.