RAWALPINDI: Pakistan spinner Arafat Minhas etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Pakistani bowler to claim a five-wicket haul on One-Day International (ODI) debut.
The young left-arm spinner achieved the milestone during Pakistan’s 1,000th ODI match against Australia in Rawalpindi, producing a remarkable bowling performance in his first appearance in the format.
Minhas returned figures of 5 for 52 in 10 overs, dismantling the Australian batting line-up and helping Pakistan bowl out the visitors for 200 runs in the 45th over.
Before Minhas, the best bowling figures by a Pakistani on ODI debut belonged to former fast bowler Zakir Khan, who took 4 wickets for 19 runs against New Zealand in 1984.
Thanks to Minhas’ historic spell, Pakistan gained a significant advantage in the landmark match, while the youngster became the first Pakistani bowler ever to take five wickets in an ODI debut.