When Shahid Afridi stunned the cricket world with a 37-ball ton

On this day, 28 years ago, the cricketing world witnessed a game-changing knock from a 16-year-old rookie from Pakistan, Shahid Afridi, that redefined the art of pinch-hitting.

The Pakistan star unleashed a stunning barrage of big hits against Sri Lanka, smashing the fastest international century in just 37 balls, with 11 sixes and 6 fours.

It was that knock on this day that elevated his status to staggering heights and made him a superstar overnight.

At the Nairobi’s Gymkhana Club Ground, under cloudy skies, Pakistan were put into bat by Sri Lanka in their second match of the four-nation series, which also involved Kenya and South Africia, in Nairobi. Hours later, what transpired was something that the Sri Lankan team wouldn’t have imagined even in their wildest dreams when electing to bowl first.

With Pakistan’s score at 60, the young Afridi walked in, playing in just his second international match. The Khyber Agency-born right-hander launched a thunderous batting assault which shocked the Lankan bowlers.

Whether it was Chaminda Vaas and Muttiah Muralidaran or Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Dharmasena, Afridi pummeled every bowler with absolute disdain. There was no magic in Murali’s spin and no effectiveness in Vass’ swing when ‘Lala’ was on song.

Over the years, many may argue that Afridi remained inconsistent and failed to deliver on most occasions during his career but it was that magical innings in Nairobi that gave him a legendary status.

The ‘Boom Boom’ was the reason spectators thronged the grounds, remaining on the edge of their seats, waiting desperately for his arrival at the crease, watching every ball intently, and leaving the stadium the moment he lost his wicket.

It was a record that remained unbroken for 18 years, despite the rise of batting pitches and power-hitting. However, on January 1, 2014, New Zealand’s Corey Anderson first leapt past Afridi's long-standing record, scoring a hundred in 36 balls. Later, on January 18, 2015, South African batting maestro AB de Villiers registered a 31-ball hundred in Johannesburg.

However, it was that knock on this day that defined Afridi as an entertainer, a trendsetter of brutal hitting in those times when such lethal batting displays were far beyond one’s imagination.

The world has seen the monstrous batting exploits from players like Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, Brendon McCullum, Ben Stokes, and David Miller, but those fireworks from Afridi, even after 28 years old, hold a unique status altogether.