Shahid Afridi's fastest 50s: A statistical look

The most experienced Pakistan cricketer at the moment, Shahid Afridi, smashed 67 off 29 balls – studded with three sixes and nine fours – against New Zealand at Wellington today in the first ODI of the two-match bilateral series.

Afridi got to his 50 in 21 balls. This is the ninth time he has scored a half-century in 21 or fewer balls.

Shahid Afridi

That no batsman has scored 50s in less than 21 balls on more than 4 occasions shows how difficult a task it is. In fact, only two batsmen have scored 50s within 21 balls more than once. Brendon McCullum has scored four times, while Mark Boucher has done it twice.

Fastest ODI 50s by Shahid Afridi (21 or less balls)

Balls	Runs	Sixes	Fours	Against	Venue	Date
18	102 (40)	11	6	Sri Lanka	Nairobi	04-10-96
18	55* (18)	6	4	Netherlands	Colombo	21-09-02
18	59 (25)	7	2	Bangladesh	Mirpur	04-03-14
19	65 (25)	5	5	New Zealand	Christchurch	29-01-11
20	102 (46)	9	10	India	Kanpur	15-04-05
20	77* (35)	6	5	South Africa	Durban	07-02-07
21	58 (26)	4	5	Zimbabwe	Multan	30-09-04
21	55 (26)	6	3	New Zealand	Sharjah	14-12-14
21	67 (29)	3	9	New Zealand	Wellington	31-01-15

Numbers of half-centuries in 21 or less balls in ODIs

Number of 50s	Batsman	Team
9	Shahid Afridi	Pakistan
4	Brendon McCullum	New Zealand
2	Mark Boucher	South Africa

Fastest 50s for each test playing team in ODIs

Team	Batsman	Balls	Score	Against	Venue	Date
Australia	Simon O'Donnell	18	74 (29)	Sri Lanka	Sharjah	02-Feb-90
	Glenn Maxwell	18	60 (22)	India	Bangalore	02-Nov-13
Bangladesh	Mohammad Ashraful	21	94 (52)	England	Nottingham	21-Jun-05
	Abdur Razzaq	21	53* (22)	Zimbabwe	Bulawayo	05-May-13
England	Paul Collingwood	24	54* (30)	New Zealand	Napier	20-Feb-08
India	Ajit Agarkar	21	67* (25)	Zimbabwe	Rajkot	14-Dec-00
New Zealand	Brendon McCullum	19	80* (28)	Bangladesh	Queenstown	31-Dec-07
	Ross Taylor	19	59* (24)	Ireland	Aberdeen	01-Jul-08
	Brendon McCullum	19	51 (22)	Sri Lanka	Christchurch	11-Jan-15
Paksistan	Shahid Afridi	18	102 (40)	Sri Lanka	Nairobi	04-Oct-96
	Shahid Afridi	18	55* (18)	Netherlands	Colombo	21-Sep-02
	Shahid Afridi	18	59 (25)	Bangladesh	Mirpur	04-Mar-14
South Africa	AB de Villiers	16	149 (44)	West Indies	Johannesburg	18-Jan-15
Sri Lanka	Sanath Jayasuriya	17	76 (28)	Pakistan	Singapore	07-Apr-96
West Indies	Darren Sammy	20	58* (24)	South Africa	Antigua	24-May-10
Zimbabwe	Dougie Marillier	21	56* (24)	India	Faridabad	07-Mar-02

Among associate team players, the fastest half-century has been made by Richie Berrington in 20 balls for Scotland against Ireland at Edinburgh in 2011. Following him is Canada's John Davison, who has a 23-ball 50 against New Zealand at Gros Islet in 2007.

Fastest half-centuries against each team playing team in ODIs

Team	Batsman	Balls	Score	Team	Venue	Date
Australia	Lance Cairns	21	52 (25)	New Zealand	Melbourne	13-Feb-83
Bangladesh	Shahid Afridi	18	59 (25)	Pakistan	Mirpur	04-Mar-14
England	Mohammad Ashraful	21	94 (52)	Bangladesh	Nottingham	21-Jun-05
India	Glenn Maxwell	18	60 (22)	Australia	Bangalore	02-Nov-13
New Zealand	Shahid Afridi	19	65 (25)	Pakistan	Christchurch	29-Jan-11
Paksistan	Sanath Jayasuriya	17	76 (28)	Sri Lanka	Singapore	07-Apr-96
South Africa	Shahid Afridi	20	77* (35)	Pakistan	Durban	07-Feb-07
	Darren Sammy	20	58* (24)	West Indies	Antigua	24-May-10
Sri Lanka	Simon O'Donnell	18	74 (29)	Australia	Sharjah	02-Feb-90
	Shahid Afridi	18	102 (40)	Pakistan	Nairobi	04-Oct-96
West Indies	AB de Villiers	16	149 (44)	South Africa	Johannesburg	18-Jan-15
Zimbabwe	Justin Kemp	19	53* (21)	South Africa	Durban	27-Feb-05

Afridi has the fastest half-century against four teams: Bangladesh, New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Fastest half-century against an associate team is in 18 balls by the same player against Netherlands in 2002, and it is followed by 19-ball 50s from Mark Boucher and Ross Taylor against Kenya at Cape Town in 2001 and Ireland at Aberdeen in 2008 respectively.