WATCH: The day ‘Boom Boom’ painted the Wanderers pink

Before AB de Villiers stunned world cricket with his world record 31-ball century against the West Indies in 2015, the inaugural Pink ODI in 2013 had its first brush of magic from a fan favourite.

Pakistan’s Shahid ‘Boom Boom’ Afridi will always go down in cricket folklore as one the most mercurial performers ever.

He held the record eclipsed by De Villiers, a brutal 37-ball effort made on ODI debut when he was just 16.

But Afridi was also a hugely frustrating batsman, a man who didn’t always employ sound judgement as evidenced by final batting average of 23.

One his day though, he was hugely watchable, smashing a magnificent 88 off just 48 balls, a knock that included seven sixes.

Facing a daunting target of 344, Afridi came in with his side in seemingly dire straits at 132/5.

Clearly sensing he had nothing to lose, ‘Boom Boom’ started rattling off six after six.

What seemed like a little bit of fun, started to become problematic for the Proteas as the target crept closer and Afridi in imperious form.

On 73, he dragged a delivery from the wily Ryan McLaren onto his stumps, but the bowler had overstepped and offered him a second life.

Off the resulting free hit, Afridi hit one of the biggest sixes ever seen at the Wanderers, a stupendous effort that sailed over the Memorial stand of the ground.

A few more hits followed before he was out tamely to a Lonwabo Tsotsobe full toss.

Yet the entertainment was royal as South Africa only won by 34 runs in the end.

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