'Yea kya bol dia'- Fans react as Vivian Richards picks his leading wicket-taker for ODI World Cup 2023

Former West Indies batter Sir Vivian Richards made his prediction for the leading wicket-taker in the much-awaited ODI World Cup 2023.

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Rohit Kumar
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Vivian Richards

Vivian Richards (Source- Twitter)

Former West Indies batter Sir Vivian Richards made his prediction for the leading wicket-taker in the much-awaited ODI World Cup 2023. He picked Pakistan’s left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi to finish at the top of the bowling charts during the tournament.

The left-arm pacer will lead the Pakistani's attack in both the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup later this year. During the 2019 World Cup. He picked up 16 wickets at an impressive average of 14.62, with his best figures being 6/35 against Bangladesh.

The leading wicket-taker in the World Cup will be Shaheen Afridi: Vivian Richards

In a video posted on the Cricket Governing Body's official Instagram handle, Viv Richards highlighted Shaheen Afridi‘s growth and development, which made him a standout performer in the tournament. He said, "The leading wicket-taker in the World Cup will be Shaheen Afridi because I have seen him in Pakistan. I spent some time in the PSL and I have seen his massive growth. highly determined individual. He is my man."

He was also part of the recently concluded three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which they won 3-0. Shaheen had finished as the leading wicket-taker, picking six wickets in three matches at an average of 16.33. The 23-year-old in 27 Test matches, 39 ODIs, and 52 T20Is, securing 105, 76, and 64 wickets, respectively.

They first play against the Netherlands on October 6, Pakistan will play two warm-up fixtures against New Zealand and Australia. The matches will be played on September 29 and October 3.

Earlier South African all-rounder had predicted England’s white-ball skipper Jos Buttler as the most run-getter during the marquee tournament. He also predicted Indian opener Shubman Gill as his ‘Young Player of the upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup.’ The young batter has been the highest run scorer and has also risen to the top 4 ODI batters in the world in just a few months.

Last week, New Zealand pacer, Tim Southee at the CEAT Cricket Rating Award event, also mentioned the expertise of Shaheen Afridi and Trent Boult, acknowledging their ability to trouble batsmen consistently throughout their careers.

Here's how fans reacted

Shaheen Shah Afridi Viv Richards