Mohammed Shami vs Shaheen Afridi - Comparing their stats in ICC ODI events

The surprisingly empty stands in the first few games of the 2025 Champions Trophy should be a thing of the past when India and Pakistan clash in Dubai on February 23. While the Virat Kohli-Babar Azam battle and other narratives have dominated the headlines in the buildup to the game, the outcome could very well hinge on the performances of the two pace spearheads - Mohammed Shami and Shaheen Afridi.

The two pacers made their respective Champions Trophy debuts in India and Pakistan's first outings of the ongoing tournament. The results could not have been more contrasting, with Shami producing figures of 5 for 53 in 10 overs against Bangladesh and Shaheen going wicketless for 68 runs against New Zealand.

Despite their lack of experience in the Champions Trophy, the duo have played several games in the other ICC ODI event- World Cup. Shaheen has played the last two 50-over World Cups in 2019 and 2023, while Shami has featured for India in the previous three World Cups from 2015 to 2023.

Renowned for their ability to pick up wickets upfront with swing and seam movement, the performances of Shami and Shaheen are proven match-winners for India and Pakistan.

On the eve of the next installment of the India-Pakistan rivalry, let us look at how the two speedsters have done with the ball in ICC ODI events.

Overall Numbers

In their illustrious careers, Mohammed Shami has played 19 ODIs in ICC tournaments, while Shaheen Afridi has played 15. We begin this comparison exercise with the most basic metric - Overall numbers across these games.

This includes total wickets and four and five-wicket hauls - two major milestones for bowlers.

Shami vs Shaheen - Overall Numbers in ICC ODI Events

While Shami has the benefit of four more games compared to Shaheen, his margin of victory in each category is decisive. The Indian pacer has picked up 26 wickets more than his Pakistan counterpart.

Shami also emerges victorious when it comes to milestones - with his 4 four-wicket and 5 five-wicket hauls beating Shaheen's 1 and 2 in both categories.

Edge: Mohammed Shami

Impact Numbers

Overall numbers, especially for pacers, count for only so much, considering their ability to add to their wickets tally in the end overs. These, while a credit to the bowler, add very little in terms of impact to the team's cause.

Hence, we come to the most important aspect of the Shami vs Shaheen battle, with a look at their impact numbers in ICC ODI events. While several fields can be included in the 'Impact Numbers' category, we have considered bowling average, strike rate, economy along with average, economy and four and five-wicket hauls in team wins.

Shami vs Shaheen - Impact Numbers in ICC ODI Events

It is not without reason that Shami is being hailed by many as arguably the best pacer in ICC ODI tournaments. He is India's all-time leading wicket-taker and fifth overall in ODI World Cups.

The Champion Indian pacer sweeps Shaheen across every impact category with his stunning numbers.

Shami's eight instances of picking up four or more wickets in Indian wins in 19 total ICC ODI matches are among the most extraordinary feats in the sport. His incredible dominance has been key to India's remarkable consistency in ODI World Cups, with the side losing only one league stage game in the last three editions.

Meanwhile, Afridi's impact numbers are more than passable with an average under 25 overall and in Pakistan wins. However, they pale in comparison to Shami's figures, which are nothing short of staggering.

Edge: Mohammed Shami

Impact Numbers across common editions

Finally, let us look at how Shami and Shaheen fared across common ICC ODI events - 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups. Considering the duo played different numbers of games across the two editions, it makes better sense to compare their key impact numbers - average and economy.

Shami vs Shaheen - Impact Numbers across common editions

Shaheen's impressive numbers in the 2019 ODI World Cup should be sufficient to dethrone even the best performances of the world-class bowlers. Yet, it falls slightly short of Shami's remarkable bowling average of 13.78 in the tournament. Nevertheless, Shaheen's economy of under five compared to Shami's 5.48 makes him a slight winner in the 2019 ODI World Cup.

The story, however, is completely different if we turn our attention to the following edition in 2023. Shami's average of 10.70 crushes Shaheen's 26.72 and his economy being slightly better makes him a clear winner of the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Edge: Mohammed Shami

Conclusion

Shaheen Afridi's numbers in ICC ODI events are sensational when looked at in isolation. However, they fall way short when compared to Mohammed Shami's historic numbers, which are second to none in ICC 50-over tournaments.

Overall numbers aside, India's inimitable consistency compared to Pakistan's pre-semifinal exits over the past two ODI World Cups is further evidence of Shami's domination of Shaheen in ICC competitions.

Winner: Mohammed Shami