New Delhi, JNN. There is no denying that former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi played a brand of cricket that was entirely his own. Throughout his international career, he was known for playing high-voltage innings that left opposing bowlers completely overwhelmed.
Back when the game was played with much more patience, Afridi broke the mold by scoring a century in only 37 deliveries. That incredible feat remained unbeaten for 17 years before Corey Anderson surpassed it. Eventually, AB de Villiers took the record further by hitting a hundred in just 31 balls in an ODI.
Most of us recognize him by the nickname 'Boom Boom,' but the story of how he got that name isn't widely known. Afridi shared the detail himself during a Twitter interaction with a supporter. When the fan asked about the origin of the name, Afridi replied that it was Ravi Shastri—the current head coach of the Indian cricket team—who came up with it.
When asked which of his centuries he values most, Afridi immediately pointed to his 141-run performance against India in Chennai. It's worth noting that this was the same Test match where Sachin Tendulkar fought through an injury to score a century. However, once Sachin was dismissed, the Indian batting lineup collapsed, leading to a narrow 12-run defeat.
After retiring from international cricket last February, Afridi left behind a massive legacy, having played 398 ODIs, 99 T20Is, and 27 Tests. In the ODI format, he accumulated 8,064 runs, including 6 centuries and 39 half-centuries, while his Test record includes 5 hundreds and 8 fifties. But he wasn't just a threat with the bat; his bowling was equally lethal. He claimed 395 wickets in ODIs, 98 in T20s, and 48 in Test matches.