Agencies | Rawalpindi:
Pakistan’s young spinner Arafat Minhas etched his name into the record books on Saturday by becoming the first Pakistani cricketer to take a five-wicket haul on One-Day International (ODI) debut.
The 21-year-old from Multan produced a memorable performance in the opening ODI of the three-match series against Australia at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, returning impressive figures of 5 for 32 from his allotted 10 overs.
Minhas, who had previously represented Pakistan in four T20 Internationals since making his international debut against Hong Kong at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in October 2023, made an immediate impact in the 50-over format.
He opened his wicket tally in the 14th over by trapping Australian captain Josh Inglis leg-before wicket. Two deliveries later, he struck again, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for a two-ball duck, also via lbw.
The left-arm spinner continued to trouble the Australian batting line-up, bowling Cameron Green for a three-ball duck in the 16th over before removing opener Matthew Short, who was stumped after scoring 55 runs off 76 deliveries.
Minhas completed his landmark five-wicket haul by dismissing Nathan Ellis in the final over of his spell, sealing one of the finest ODI debuts by a Pakistani bowler.
His performance surpassed the previous best bowling figures by a Pakistani on ODI debut, a record that had stood without a five-wicket haul despite several notable four-wicket performances by bowlers including Zakir Khan, Abdul Qadir, Abrar Ahmed, Sarfraz Nawaz and Sufyan Moqim.
The achievement also made Minhas the first bowler in ODI history to claim a five-wicket haul on debut against Australia. The previous best bowling figures on ODI debut against the six-time world champions belonged to West Indies pacer Hendy Bryan, who registered 4 for 24 in 1999.
While Minhas’ figures rank among the most impressive ODI debuts in cricket history, the overall record remains with Scotland pacer Charlie Cassell, who claimed 7 for 21 against Oman in July 2024. Other notable debut performances include South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada (6 for 16) and former West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards (6 for 22).
Minhas’ historic spell has not only secured him a place in Pakistan cricket history but also announced his arrival as one of the country’s most promising young spin-bowling talents.
