Harry Brook shocked by Arafat Minhas. Image Credits: AFP/X
Arafat Minhas continued to impress in his young ODI career, after his match-winning 6-wicket haul against England in Rawalpindi. With his exceptional bowling, Minhas helped Pakistan bulldoze England by 87 runs.
In just his fifth ODI match, Minhas has already scalped two five-fers, putting his name in contention for the 2027 World Cup. England captain Harry Brook spoke highly of the left-arm orthodox bowler but expressed his shock upon learning his age.
Arafat Minhas' age leaves Harry Brook shocked
While Arafat Minhas ran through the English batting in Rawalpindi, Harry Brook was one of the victims of an absolute snorter, leaving him all ends up. Minhas dismantled Brook's off-stump and went on to claim 6/40 by the end of the innings.
During the post-match press conference, Brook praised Minhas' bowling and admitted that they let him bowl according to his plan, failing to put pressure. However, upon learning that the all-rounder is just 21, he looked stunned and asked if he is really U21.
"Is he [Arafat Minhas] under21? I didn't know that. He is a nice bowler; he bowled really well," he told the press.
Furthermore, Brook said that the England unit had seen Minhas' videos and analysed him prior to the game, but having never faced him before, they were a bit sceptical about taking on him. Moving ahead, they would like to score more freely off him, Brook said.
Arafat Minhas' all-round brilliance in focus
Minhas only made his ODI debut earlier in May, when he ripped through the Australian batting lineup, with a debut five-fer. In the next four matches, he has already taken a 6/40 as his career-best figures, joining elite Pakistani bowlers in the record books early in his career.
However, Minhas is not only impressing with the ball, with 22 wickets in 12 international outings, but also putting his best foot forward with the bat. Batting at number 7, he racked up an instrumental 59(58) on Tuesday and guided Pakistan to 302/9.
He also has healthy domestic batting stats, proving his worth as a really good option to lead the spin attack and as a number 7 batter in the lead-up to the World Cup.
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