Shahid Afridi reveals story about scoring fastest 1996 ODI ton with Sachin Tendulkar's bat

Former Pakistan cricket captain Shahid Afridi was one of the most explosive batsmen in the world while playing international cricket. Over the years, Shahid Afridi has played several memorable knocks which are still etched in the minds of cricket fans not just in Pakistan but around the world. The veteran all-rounder has been in the sport since 1996 and has seen several Indian cricketers from different generations.

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Shahid Afridi reveals his 37-ball ton was scored by Sachin Tendulkar's bat

Going back to his autobiography Game Changer, Shahid Afridi said that equations between India and Pakistan in cricket have changed over the years because 'politics has seeped in everywhere'. In his autobiography, Shahid Afridi has commented on several Indian cricketers. He has had a lot of mixed opinions about his Indian counterparts.

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Shahid Afridi said that the only proper batsman in the Indian team during the initial phase of his career was Sachin Tendulkar, after which the likes of Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly arrived. Shahid Afridi also went on to reveal an interesting detail. The former Pakistan cricketer recalled how he smashed the 37-ball century against Sri Lanka in 1996 with Sachin Tendulkar’s bat.

Afridi claimed that even he received the bat from another former Pakistan captain and teammate Waqar Younis, Shahid Afridi didn’t forget to acknowledge Sachin Tendulkar. He added that effectively the fastest century in Nairobi was made with Sachin Tendulkar's bat, since he had apparently gifted it to Younis, which gives a hint of how Indian and Pakistani cricketers used to bond off the field. The 37-ball ton was then the fastest ODI ton before New Zealand all-rounder Corey Anderson surpassed it.

Incidentally, before the 1996 World Cup in the Indian subcontinent, a rare incident took place. A combined India and Pakistan XI travelled to Sri Lanka to play the hosts prior to the tournament in a friendly match. The side, led by Mohammad Azharuddin, saw the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble, play alongside Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. That Indo-Pak team defeated Sri Lanka in a match which saw tremendous camaraderie between players of both the rival nations. The match was organized by the BCCI and PCB to lift Sri Lanka's spirits, who were denied visits by Australia and West Indies due to the deteriorating political situation in the country. Sri Lanka won the World Cup that year in Lahore by defeating Australia in the final ironically under Arjuna Ranatunga's leadership.

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Shahid Afridi takes a jibe at Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag

Coming back to Afridi, apart from praising Tendulkar, he was relentless in taking a shot at former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir. He said that the Gautam Gambhir was ‘barely a character’ and had major attitude problems. Afridi added that Gautam Gambhir was someone with no records but a lot of attitude. He also went on to say that Gambhir behaved like a cross between Sir Don Bradman and James Bond. It is no secret that the duo share animosity after their infamous on-the-field fight in a 2007 ODI in India and over several political issues.

Afridi also bashed Virender Sehwag for the latter’s tweets about Pakistan on social media. He called out Virender Sehwag for his irresponsible behaviour after tweeting 'negatively' about Pakistan on several occasions.

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IMAGE COURTESY: SHAHID AFRIDI TWITTER