When Shahid Afridi, aged 16 years and 217 days at that time, walked onto the field, little did the Sri Lankans know that they were in for a thrashing at the hands of a young teenager. Afridi mauled them in such a brutal way that they were sent crashing out of the tournament. Although he missed the chance of equaling the fastest ever ODI half century, by just one ball, he still went on to bludgeon his way to the fastest century in ODI cricket. Afridi sending the ball into the tiers became a common sight for the spectators watching the match. Every bowler seemed helpless. Afridi walloped his way through the bowling line-up, leaving them high and dry.
When Shahid Afridi was on 97 from 36 balls, millions of hearts started to beat faster; millions of lips moved in recitation of prayers. And the prayers were heard. They were answered. As soon as the commentator uttered: “This could be the world record.. SHAHID AFRIDI HAS GOT THE FASTEST HUNDRED IN ONE DAY INTERNATIONALS”, jubilation filled the air. It was Pakistan’s moment. It was Pakistan’s celebration. For a man playing his first knock in one day international cricket, this was an astounding achievement. He hit eleven sixes in that game, equaling Sanath Jayasuriya’s record in ODIs. The scoring sequence of his final tally of 102 runs came as: 0,6,1,0,4,0,0,6,0,0,6,6,1,1,6,6,2,6,4,4,0,0,6,6,1,4,1,1,0,4,1,6,0,6,0,2,4,1,0,0.
It was a game that will forever be remembered for Afridi’s heroics.
That was seventeen years ago. Fast forward to the present and you see a Shahid Afridi who still is the heart and soul of Pakistan cricket team. He might fail to perform sometimes, but you cannot write him off. Afridi, being the charmer that he is, is known as the ‘darling of the crowd’. You might dislike him at times. You might get angry when he fails to perform at the most crucial of times. But you can never ‘hate’ him. It is said that there is an Afridi-fan inside each one of us. Over all these years, he has paved his way into the heart of each and every supporter of Pakistan cricket. He is the man whom we all love to see in the green shirt.
From playing a vital role in Pakistan’s 2009 T20 Worldcup triumph, to making Pakistan reach the semi final of 2011 Worldcup, Shahid Afridi has always gone out to bring laurels for this nation. He is a superstar, a legend, who will always be cherished.
Thank you for all the glorious moments and bundles of joy, Lala. You are our pride and we are blessed to have you!
