Shaheen Shah Afridi bowls Pakistan’s most expensive spell in World Cup History

The Pakistan men's cricket team's pace spearhead, Shaheen Shah Afridi on Saturday etched an unfortunate record into the annals of the One Day International (ODI) World Cup history.

The 23-year-old pacer registered the most expensive bowling spell ever by a Pakistan bowler in the ODI World Cup, allowing New Zealand to amass a colossal total of 401 runs.

Shaheen's 10-over ordeal culminated with the dismal figures of 10-0-90-0, a performance that came as a stark contrast to his recent success.

Just in the previous match against Bangladesh, Shaheen Shah Afridi had celebrated becoming the fastest pacer to reach 100 wickets, surpassing Australia's Mitchell Starc.

The embarrassing record snatched by Shaheen was previously held by Haris Rauf, who had conceded 85 runs while capturing a solitary wicket. Moments before this costly over, Rauf's figures were the subject of discussion.

An even earlier record was carried by Hasan Ali, who had conceded 84 runs while taking a single wicket against Virat Kohli's India during the 2019 World Cup.

Shaheen's forgettable performance coincided with Pakistan's collective bowling struggles, as they failed to contain the New Zealand batsmen.

Notably, Shaheen's forte in picking wickets during powerplay overs deserted him, as New Zealand's openers, Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, raced off to a blistering start.

Some critics attributed the day's challenges to Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, who chose to bowl first after winning the toss. This decision turned out to be a costly one, as the flat nature of the pitch offered little assistance to the pace bowlers.