Stats Prove Shahid Afridi Was the Best Power-Hitter in the World

Legendary all-rounder, Shahid Afridi entertained the cricketing fans around the world with his all-action all-round skills for over three decades. Afridi, who is set to retire from all forms of cricket after the seventh edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL), announced himself on the world stage back in 1996 when he struck a record-breaking 37 ball century in his first ODI innings in international cricket.

Since then, Afridi’s power-hitting prowess was feared around the world and despite his inconsistencies with the bat, he was regarded as one of the best hitters across the globe. Afridi’s ability to turn around a match within a space of a few overs was one of Pakistan’s biggest strengths throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

While he turned into a world-class spinner later on in his career, his occasional blitz with the bat in hand had the fans glued to their TV screens.

Afridi holds the record for the highest strike rate in ODIs in three decades. No other player in the world had a better strike rate than Afridi in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, which showcases his class as a power-hitter. India’s Kapil Dev was an extraordinary cricketer as well and he holds the record for best strike rate in the 1980s, a decade too early for the ever-green Shahid Afridi.

Let’s have a look at the ODI strike rate breakdown through the decades:

Player	Decade	Matches	Runs	Strike Rate
Kapil Dev	1980s	143	2,869	101.91
Shahid Afridi	1990s	93	2,069	103.91
Shahid Afridi	2000s	195	3,761	115.08
Shahid Afridi	2010s	110	2,234	136.80

*Minimum 1,000 runs in a decade

The 46-year old might be retiring soon but his impact on the global game is there to stay. Afridi made his international debut more than 26 years ago, at a time when players were not renowned for hitting sixes on every other ball but he brought in a new mindset in cricket which shows that he was miles ahead of others in his time.