On this day in 1996, Pakistan’s legendary pinch-hitter Shahid Khan Afridi had set the Nairobi cricket stadium ablaze by bludgeoning his fastest ODI hundred of that time, a record which could not be outmatched for about 18 next years.
It was the former skipper’s first international innings and he had come under the spotlight with his 11 huge sixes and 6 boundaries against Sri Lanka.
He took only eight singles and two doubles in this match. He had reached his 100 in 37 balls.
This record was first broken by New Zealand’s James Anderson in January 2014 and then only after one year by South Africa’s AB de Villiers in January 2015.
Also Read: My grandfather was ‘Ghazi-e-Kashmir’, therefore Kashmir belongs to me: Shahid Afridi
Interestingly, the record of sixth fastest ODI hundred is also held by the Boom Boom. He also holds the record of most sixes in ODI cricket history. With 22 years of career in hand, Afridi had announced his retirement from international cricket at the Lord’s cricket ground in May 2018.
On August 30, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Khan Afridi had said his grandfather was ‘Ghazi-e-Kashmir’, therefore Kashmir belonged to him.
“I always talk about Kashmir for Kashmir runs in my blood as my grandfather Sahibzada Abdul Baqi Sahib was given the title of Ghazi-e-Kashmir (conqueror of Kashmir), therefore Kashmir belongs to me and my children,” Shahid Afridi had said while addressing a rally at Quaid’s Mausoleum in Karachi.
He was flanked by several Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders including Federal Minister for Water Resources Faisal Vawda and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on this occasion.
