Cricket is not just a sport, but also an entertainment. In the 21st century, the fans and spectators, who watch the spectacle from the stadium and houses, not just want a result, but also some breathtaking action.
When one talks about entertainers in the sport, the likes of Dwayne Bravo, Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag, Brendon McCullum are named instantly. But there is one, who etched his name as arguably the greatest entertainer of cricket.
Shahid Afridi provided the spectators something to cheer for years every time he stepped on the field. The former Pakistan all-rounder had every action trick in his locker, be it with the bat, or with the ball.
Whenever he took the ball in his hands, a wicket was produced. And whenever he came out to bat, the crowd geared up to watch sixes. His antics, especially with the bat, earned him the tag of ‘Boom Booom’. No one knew who have him this title, but every one started to call him ‘Boom Boom Afridi’.
‘Boom Boom’ Afridi held the record for the most number of sixes in international cricket. He had slammed an astonishing 476 sixes in his playing career, and sat atop of the rankings. But earlier in July, West Indies’ showman Gayle equaled his record.
And now, Afridi has lifted the curtains off his famous nickname. During his conversation with his fans on Twitter, he revealed that former Indian all-rounder and present Indian coach Ravi Shastri was the brain behind the nickname.
#AskLala who gave you the title #BoomBoom🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— Talha Attique🔥 (@Ch_Talha10) August 26, 2018
Ravi Shastri
— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) August 26, 2018
Shastri, who played for India between 1981 and 1992, featured in 80 Test matches and 150 ODIs. He is presently the head coach of the Indian cricket team, which is currently in action against England in the five-match Test series.
His team lost the first Test at Edgbaston which was closely contested, though, surrendered meekly in the second Test at Lord’s. But the visitors fought back brilliantly in the third Test at Trent Bridge, beating the hosts by a huge margin.