RAWALPINDI (Nazrana Times) Ali Imran Chattha 

Pakistan’s emerging all-rounder Arafat Minhas has achieved a rare milestone in one-day international cricket, becoming only the third Pakistani men’s player to score a half-century and take at least five wickets in the same ODI.

The 21-year-old delivered a match-winning performance against England in Rawalpindi on Tuesday, scoring 59 off 58 balls before claiming six wickets for 40 runs. His contribution helped Pakistan secure an 87-run victory in the ODI tri-series.

Minhas helped Pakistan recover from 133 for five to post 302 for nine in their 50 overs. He shared a crucial 78-run partnership with Hasan Nawaz, who scored 79, before adding 72 runs with Faheem Ashraf, who contributed 39.

England, chasing a target of 303, made a promising start but collapsed after reaching 91 without loss. The team was eventually dismissed for 215 in 38.4 overs, with Minhas playing a decisive role in dismantling the batting line-up.

The achievement places Minhas alongside Pakistan great Shahid Afridi and former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq. Afridi accomplished the fifty-and-five-wicket combination three times, while Razzaq achieved it once. Afridi was the last Pakistani to register the feat, in 2013, before Minhas ended the 13-year gap.

The milestone also places Minhas in an elite international group. According to the International Cricket Council (ICC), the combination had been achieved 24 times in men’s ODIs before his performance, making it the 25th occurrence. Players who have achieved the feat include West Indies great Viv Richards, India’s Yuvraj Singh, West Indies batter Chris Gayle and Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan.

Minhas’s six-wicket haul was also the second-best bowling performance by a Pakistan bowler in a home ODI. The record remains with Shoaib Akhtar, who took six wickets for 16 runs against New Zealand in Karachi in 2002.

The performance came in only Minhas’s fifth ODI, highlighting his potential as a left-arm spinner and lower-order batter. He was named player of the match as Pakistan recorded their second consecutive victory in the tri-series.

Pakistan are scheduled to face England again on October 25 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, while England will play Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on October 22.