Arafat steals the show on ODI debut against Australia

News Desk
Rawalpindi: Teenage debutant Arafat Minhas announced himself on the international stage with a stunning five-wicket haul as Pakistan bundled Australia out for 200 in the opening ODI of the three-match series at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Pakistan’s bowlers dominated after captain Shaheen Shah Afridi elected to field first, restricting the visitors to 200 in 44.1 overs despite fighting half-centuries from Matthew Short and Matt Renshaw.
Australia began steadily, with Short and Alex Carey adding 34 runs for the opening wicket before spinner Abrar Ahmed provided the breakthrough by removing Carey for 19 in the seventh over.
Short then partnered captain Josh Inglis in an attempt to rebuild, but debutant Arafat Minhas turned the match in Pakistan’s favour with a fiery spell.

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The young spinner dismissed Inglis for 13, trapped Marnus Labuschagne for a duck in the same over, and then bowled Cameron Green in his next, leaving Australia struggling at 68/4.
With wickets falling regularly, Short and Renshaw tried to steady the innings through a 55-run stand for the fifth wicket. Short reached his fourth ODI fifty before Minhas struck again, removing the opener for 55 off 76 balls, including six boundaries.
Renshaw kept Australia afloat with a composed 61 from 63 deliveries, featuring five fours and a six, while also sharing useful partnerships with Oliver Peake and Matthew Kuhnemann. However, Abrar ended his resistance in the 39th over.
Once Renshaw departed, Pakistan’s pace attack wrapped up the tail quickly, with Shaheen and Haris Rauf finishing the innings efficiently.
Minhas finished with remarkable figures of 5/32 in his full quota of 10 overs on ODI debut, while Abrar claimed two wickets. Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen and Haris picked up one wicket each as Pakistan produced an impressive all-round bowling display.