Boom Boom Power: 10 Untold Shahid Afridi Skills That Shocked the Cricket World

Explore Shahid Afridi skills, fastest sixes, deadly googlies & match-winning moments that redefined modern cricket forever.

Introduction

Shahid Afridi is a name in cricket that will always be remembered. He was a star who was also called another name for entertainment. People say that in the world of cricket, no mother can give birth to a son like Pakistan’s great all-rounder, Shahid Afridi.

With his explosive batting, he created fear in the hearts of the world’s greatest bowlers. Even in the era of legends like McGrath and Brett Lee, Afridi brought a storm of fours and sixes that no bowler could escape. He changed the face of cricket and turned it into a game full of excitement.

He destroyed the careers of many top bowlers and made cricket a batsman’s game. In today’s video, we will show you some of the most thrilling Shahid Afridi skills ever seen on the cricket field.

Shahid Afridi passed his first test when he was selected in the team as a spinner. At that time, Pakistan already had great spinners and world-class fast bowlers. Even the world’s fastest bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, couldn’t get a place in the team for five years. But Afridi was a natural talent who amazed everyone with his magical bowling.

No one knew that this young player would later become the best power hitter in the world. It was the year 1996 when Afridi was sent to bat at number eight. He had already impressed everyone with his power-hitting and had emerged as a top power hitter in the team.

During that time, the captain of the Pakistan team was Saeed Anwar. One day, Afridi was sent to bat at number three. That was the day when he launched a massive attack on the Sri Lankan team and scored a century in just 37 balls, setting a world record in cricket. In this innings, he hit 11 sixes and 6 fours. His record ruled world cricket for 17 years before it was broken.

Afridi became known as a dangerous batsman, someone who could destroy the opposition in just 5–10 minutes. That’s why he was famously called Boom Boom Lala, and this moment marked one of the greatest Shahid Afridi skills in cricket history.

Afridi, who had already given a new identity to ODI cricket, was now showing his magic in T20 cricket. In that era, he was known as the most dangerous batsman and a magician spinner. Whenever the team needed to scare the bowlers, Afridi was sent to bat.

In the 2009 T20 World Cup, Afridi was at the peak of his career. The tournament began in England, and 12 teams participated. Four teams—South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—qualified for the semi-finals.

Pakistan won the first semi-final, where Afridi scored a brilliant 51 runs off 34 balls and gave only 16 runs in four overs while taking two wickets. He was awarded Player of the Match.

The second semi-final was played between Sri Lanka and West Indies, which Sri Lanka won by 57 runs. Then came the final match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In this match, Afridi played a match-winning knock of 54 runs and helped Pakistan win the final by 8 wickets.

So it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Shahid Afridi was the hero who made Pakistan the champion with his outstanding bowling and batting. The 2009 World Cup performance is one of the most memorable Shahid Afridi skills ever.

Friends, Afridi was a player who gave bowlers a tough time. His mission in cricket was all about hitting fours and sixes. He would bat for just four to five minutes and completely destroy the opposing team.

Throughout his career, he smashed many bowlers and set records that no one could break. Afridi is the only player in the world to hit the most sixes in One Day Internationals. He played with a strike rate of 117 and hit 351 sixes in ODIs.

You can understand his aggressive style by the fact that even the “Universe Boss” Chris Gayle had a much lower strike rate than him. Gayle played with a strike rate of 87 and was much slower compared to Afridi.

That’s why Afridi was known as the robber of bowlers’ pride — a true power-hitter whose legacy lives on through these incredible Shahid Afridi skills.

Friends, if you are a true cricket lover, you can never forget this explosive innings by Lala (Afridi), where he showed his classic style and snatched victory from the jaws of the Bengal Tigers in a crucial Asia Cup 2014 match.

After this unexpected win, the entire Sher-e-Bangla Stadium turned into a scene of tears and silence. Even Bangladeshi fans were crying in disbelief. It was almost like a semi-final. Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first, posting a massive target of 326 runs in 50 overs.

After setting such a big total, the Bengal Tigers were confident of victory. And why not? At one point in the match, Pakistan needed 102 runs from just 52 balls, and half the team was already back in the pavilion.

But the Bengal Tigers had forgotten — Lala was still to come. Boom Boom Afridi walked onto the crease in this tense moment and started his trademark attack.

In this match, the ball looked like a football to Afridi. Everything that touched his bat went flying over the boundary. He scored a fiery 69 runs off just 25 balls and silenced the entire stadium. Pakistan won the match in the last over and qualified for the final — all thanks to these unbelievable Shahid Afridi skills.

Friends, whether it was about destroying bowlers’ pride or doing hard hitting, Afridi was always ahead. After the 1996 World Cup, he became a permanent part of the Pakistan team because of his match-winning performances.

He played a vital role with his power hitting, magical bowling, brilliant fielding, and even sometimes long innings. That’s why he was called the “Five-in-One” player on the cricket field.

Afridi wasn’t just a big hitter; he also bowled magical spin for his team. And when needed, he could bowl fast too. Once, he bowled the fastest ball ever by a spinner at 134 km/h, setting a world record.

This happened in 2011 against New Zealand. Even today, 14 years later, this record still belongs to him. In modern cricket, even many fast bowlers struggle to bowl that fast — so imagine a spinner doing it!

This legendary moment is another incredible example of Shahid Afridi skills that shocked the cricket world.

Friends, in the 21st century, Afridi’s power and aggression had reached such a peak that every cricket fan around the world was crazy about him. Although players like AB de Villiers and the Universe Boss (Chris Gayle) were also showing their batting talent during that time, Afridi was still called the founder of monster sixes.

He would come to the crease and immediately start hitting bowlers with massive sixes, so huge that the ball would fly over the crowd and land outside the stadium.

Afridi hit over 400 sixes in his career, but two of his sixes became world records.

The first was in an ODI match between Pakistan and Australia, where Afridi smashed a six that landed outside the stadium. This was recorded as the 5th longest six in cricket history, measuring 130 meters.

But Afridi wasn’t satisfied with being fifth. He wanted to be number one — the ultimate monster of world cricket. And that dream came true during an ODI between Pakistan and South Africa.

In that match, Afridi hit a six so long that the ball soared into the sky and landed outside the stadium into a nearby park. The distance? A record-breaking 158 meters — the longest six in cricket history.

This record is not just hard to break — it’s almost impossible. The previous record was set way back in 1889 by Albert Trott, who hit a 150-meter six. Afridi broke that 124-year-old record in 2013 with his unbelievable power.

This iconic moment is yet another legendary example of Shahid Afridi skills — the kind of feat only Lala could achieve.

Friends, when googly deliveries were starting to fade from world cricket, it was Shahid Afridi who brought them back to life. With his brilliant leg-spin and deadly googlies, he gave this delivery a new identity and surprised top-class batters.

Afridi had become a fearsome spinner, and he loved trapping legendary batsmen with his unpredictable bowling. His googly was so dangerous that even the best players were afraid to face him.

Throughout his career, he dismissed many big names and even took down legendary players like AB de Villiers with his magical deliveries. This is one of the most underrated Shahid Afridi skills — his ability to baffle batters with his spin.

Friends, there can hardly be any true cricket lover who wasn’t impressed by Shahid Afridi’s skills. His aggressive batting style created millions of fans, and many people even stopped watching cricket after his retirement because no one could replace his entertainment.

Afridi was not just a power hitter; he was also one of the best finishers in cricket history. His presence would fill stadiums to full capacity. When the team needed quick runs under pressure, Afridi was sent to the crease — and what happened next? He would hit boundaries and sixes like a storm, turning defeat into victory.

He did this not once, but many times, rescuing Pakistan in hopeless situations. That’s why Afridi is known as one of the greatest hard-hitters and finishers cricket has ever seen.

Conclusion

Shahid Afridi’s name will forever echo in the world of cricket as one of the most explosive, fearless, and entertaining all-rounders the game has ever seen. Whether it was his world-record century off just 37 balls, monstrous sixes that flew out of stadiums, or his deadly googlies that stunned top batsmen — Afridi possessed a skill set that was nothing short of magical. His ability to turn the tide of a match with bat or ball made him a true match-winner and a crowd favorite across the globe.

From becoming the fastest centurion to hitting the longest six in cricket history, Afridi broke records that still stand as milestones. His powerful strike rate, over 350 sixes in ODIs, and iconic performances in the 2009 T20 World Cup showcased his true cricketing genius.

These Shahid Afridi skills weren’t just stats — they were unforgettable moments of passion, power, and pride. For millions of fans, Boom Boom Afridi wasn’t just a player — he was an emotion.