"The Word 'Marvelous'...": Shahid Afridi Praises Pakistan's Dominant Victory vs Australia

Mohammad Rizwan celebrated his first win as Pakistan's full-time white-ball captain after Pakistan's emphatic nine-wicket win over Australia in the second ODI in Adelaide, leveling the series 1-1. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi expressed his admiration for Rizwan and the team's performance on social media, remarking that "when a captain inspires, the team fires." Afridi praised Rizwan, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Saim Ayub, and Abdullah Shafique for their "marvelous" contributions.

Afridi wrote, "What a phenomenal comeback by Pakistan in Adelaide, marking our first-ever nine-wicket victory over world champions Australia on their home ground! This victory is a huge confidence booster. The word 'marvelous' barely does justice to today's stellar display from Rizwan, Haris, Shaheen, Saim, and Abdullah. Keep believing, and inshallah, more success is on the way."

Pakistan's choice to bowl first after winning the toss proved advantageous, as Australia was bowled out for just 163 in 35 overs. Steve Smith was the only Australian batsman to show some resilience, scoring 35 off 48 balls, but the rest of the lineup struggled to get past 20 runs. Haris Rauf led Pakistan's bowling attack with an impressive 5/29 in eight overs, while Shaheen Afridi contributed with 3/26. Naseem Shah and Mohammad Hasnain took one wicket each.

In their chase, Pakistan's openers Saim Ayub (82 off 71 balls) and Abdullah Shafique (64* off 69 balls) were unstoppable, leading Pakistan to victory with nine wickets in hand and more than 23 overs to spare. Rauf's exceptional spell earned him the 'Player of the Match' award.