Shahid Afridi. Photo: Gallo Images.
Before AB de Villiers stunned world cricket with his world record 31-ball century against the West Indies in 2015, the inaugural Pink ODI in 2013 had its first brush of magic from a fan favourite.
Pakistan’s Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi will always go down in cricket folklore as one the most mercurial performers ever.
He held the record eclipsed by De Villiers, a brutal 37-ball effort made on ODI debut when he was just 16.
But Afridi was also a hugely frustrating batsman, a man who didn’t always employ sound judgement as evidenced by final batting average of 23.
One his day though, he was hugely watchable, smashing a magnificent 88 off just 48 balls, a knock that included seven sixes.
Facing a daunting target of 344, Afridi came in with his side in seemingly dire straits at 132/5.
Clearly sensing he had nothing to lose, ‘Boom Boom’ started rattling off six after six.
What seemed like a little bit of fun, started to become problematic for the Proteas as the target crept closer and Afridi in imperious form.
On 73, he dragged a delivery from the wily Ryan McLaren onto his stumps, but the bowler had overstepped and offered him a second life.
Off the resulting free hit, Afridi hit one of the biggest sixes ever seen at the Wanderers, a stupendous effort that sailed over the Memorial stand of the ground.
A few more hits followed before he was out tamely to a Lonwabo Tsotsobe full toss.
Yet the entertainment was royal as South Africa only won by 34 runs in the end.
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