Boom Boom Afridi: one of a kind

As I sat down to write a tribute to Boom Boom Afridi, I wanted my typing to match the speed at which Shahid Afridi played all his life, but unlike his cameos, my emotions and love for Afridi grew bigger and it took me a lot of time to pour out my heart and feelings as the charismatic allrounder bid farewell to ODIs.

I am one of those from the generation of late '90s, when cricket had gathered real pace and velocity. ODI cricket began scaling new heights in the 1996 World Cup with the Sri Lankan opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana exploiting the field restrictions with aggression.

This style of play really excited me and, as an Indian, I was looking for someone of a similar kind in my own team.

And then a few months down the line something happened, something that changed the cricketing world, something that changed my life: an innings played by a 16-year-old unknown player from Pakistan. I personally did not see the match as I did not follow Pakistan cricket much in those days. However, the breathtaking knock in Toronto captivated me.

It was a Eureka moment for me, I found my hero, I found someone in cricket that I could cheer for, and I started to keenly follow Pakistan cricket. Coming from a cricket-crazy Indian family, it was very difficult for me to single out one player from Pakistan and cheer for him even when he played against India. I was elated, so much so that I forgot that he actually scored a century against my country. Watching such a blitz in those days was enough for me to get drawn to Afridi.

For me he was all hitting and power but for my elder sister he was more than that, I remember how she would often ask me to get his posters from sports shop and stick them in her room. Without a doubt, I could say that she had found her hero too. I also found another friend who would always accompany me to watch Pakistan play.

I got more attached to Afridi and started to follow every move of his. I became a fan of his bowling too.

Then came Sharjah - Afridi was on the rise - he was mesmerising. I would say it wasn't just joy and thrill that drew me to an Afridi innings. It was the notion that this crude form of batting could succeed in international cricket, albeit sporadically, and that this player was being allowed to bat with unrestrained freedom. For purity I had Rahul Dravid's drives, but for adrenaline it was always Afridi.

Patience was never a virtue for Afridi. He liked speed and he thrived on entertaining fans with power. At the crease he was always in a hurry, whether he was batting or bowling.

After many years the Pakistan team toured India in 2005. And Afridi was at it again. He simply blew India away in Kanpur. Mr Boom Boom came to open the innings and slammed 102 off 46 balls as Pakistan chased down 250 in less than 43 overs. I forgot that he was playing against my team, I forgot how storied the India-Pakistan rivalry was, because my love and passion for Afridi's style of batting knew no boundaries.

In 2008 I watched Afridi's 37-ball ton on YouTube and the pain of not witnessing this innings subsided. The picture quality was grainy, but watching Afridi smoke six after six was exhilarating.

And how could I forget the Asia Cup in 2014, with India at the receiving end again. I realised that there were several moments that gave me both pleasure and heartbreak whenever India and Pakistan played. Sometimes I was left frustrated and cursed the partition, dreaming that Afridi and Sehwag could have opened in the same team.

He may be overrated, he may be impatient, he may not have the statistics on his side. But he is an explosive package.

He remained a hero to millions, a reason for smiles and a crowd favourite. Perhaps he is the most-loved Pakistan player in India. I have seen the spark in our eyes whenever the he came to bat.

I know he's not done yet, he will ply his trade in T20s, so there's something for me to look forward to, but I have always associated him with ODIs, and yes being stuck on 395 ODI wickets is unfortunate.

For me he still is that 16-year-old lad, ready to take the opposition on. He entertained us with his unique brand of cricket and has surely left a lasting impression on the game. He was cricket's greatest entertainer.

Boom Boom is irreplaceable. Thank you for the memories, Lala.

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