Shaheen Afridi becomes No.1 ODI bowler for first time
Kolkata: Pakistan's lead pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi on Wednesday became the new number one bowler in ODIs, achieving the feat for the first time in his eventful career that has been a mix of many highs and few lows.
He jumped seven places to displace Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood from the top in the latest ICC rankings.
Afridi's rise to the top comes a day after his team's victory over Bangladesh in the World Cup in which he captured three wickets for 23 runs.
The match also saw him reach his 100th ODI wicket, which came in his 51st game, making him the third fastest to achieve the landmark in the format to date, besides being the fastest pacer to do so.
He is now the joint highest wicket-taker of the competition along with Adam Zampa of Australia, having taken 16 wickets in seven matches at an average of 19.93 and an economy of 5.22, including a five-wicket haul.
Meanwhile, Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj and left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav were placed third and seventh respectively.
As for the batters, Pakistan skipper Babar Adam led the chart. India's Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were ranked second, fifth and seventh respectively.
Among all-rounders, the list is headed by Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh.
While India's Hardik Pandya dropped a place to 11th, Ravindra Jadeja stayed in 13th position, while Pakistan's Shadab Khan was down a couple of slots to 20.
Joy for Pakistan as Shaheen Afridi is crowned No.1 ranked bowler on the latest @MRFWorldwide ICC Men's ODI Player Rankings 👏
— ICC (@ICC) November 1, 2023
Details 👇https://t.co/jB7vDWimfq pic.twitter.com/RqAX91N5mj
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Opposition raking up Dalit CM issue to divert attention: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday accused the opposition of "unnecessarily stoking" the debate over a Dalit Chief Minister to deflect attention from governance.
He asserted that only the Congress has the commitment to elevate a Dalit leader to the top post.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the ongoing discussion on a Dalit Chief Minister was being amplified by opposition parties.
“This is the work of the opposition. To hide their own failures, they are raising the issue of the Chief Minister. Isn’t the administration running smoothly? Isn’t the Chief Minister governing?” he asked.
The Minister noted that for the past 10–12 days, detailed budget discussions had been held across departments and governance was progressing normally.
Parameshwara, who is a Dalit, said the Congress alone had the history and political will to make a Dalit Chief Minister.
“Yes, it must be the Congress party. Who else will do it?” he said, while clarifying that the timing of any such decision would be determined by the party high command.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media statement targeting the JD(S) and invoking social justice, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of the JD(S) and even served as its president before being expelled.
He noted that the internal history of that party was best known to those within it and declined to comment on specific internal matters.
Defending the Chief Minister’s ideological position, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah’s politics had always been rooted in social justice and that there was nothing new or opportunistic about his stance.
The Chief Minister, he said, had consistently built his political career on that foundation.
