Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has stirred debate on social media after claiming, during a television discussion, that legendary Australian batter Sir Don Bradman never hit a six in his Test career. The claim quickly drew pushback from cricket fans and statisticians once clips of the segment began circulating online.
Akmal made the remark while discussing Bradman’s extraordinary batting record. When the show’s anchor pushed back and suggested Bradman had struck around five or six sixes in Tests, Akmal disagreed and insisted the Australian great had never cleared the boundary in the format.
What the Record Actually Shows
Cricket statistics tell a different story. According to ESPNcricinfo’s official records, Bradman hit six sixes across his 52-match Test career, a career that produced 6,996 runs at an almost unbelievable average of 99.94, including 29 centuries and 13 half-centuries.
Bradman was famously a ground-hugging batter who preferred placement and timing over aerial hitting, which explains why his six count stayed so low relative to his overall output. Still, the record confirms he did clear the rope on six separate occasions during his playing days.
Every One of Bradman’s Sixes Came Off Left-Arm Bowlers
One of the more curious details in the record books is that all six of Bradman’s Test sixes were struck off left-arm bowlers. Five of those sixes came against England, and the remaining one came against India.
His first Test six arrived during the famous Bodyline series of 1932-33 in Adelaide, when he launched left-arm spinner Hedley Verity over the boundary. He then added four more sixes during the 1934 Ashes tour of England. His sixth and final Test six did not come until more than 13 years later, in the 1947-48 series against India in Adelaide, when he hit left-arm spinner Vinoo Mankad for six.
Why the Claim Matters
Bradman’s average of 99.94 remains the most iconic statistic in cricket, and his career is frequently used as the benchmark for batting greatness across generations. Incorrect claims about his record tend to travel quickly on social media precisely because so many fans treat his numbers as cricketing folklore, which makes fact-checking moments like this a recurring feature of cricket discourse in Pakistan and beyond.
Akmal, who played 53 Tests for Pakistan and remains a popular television pundit, has not issued any clarification or correction following the on-air exchange. The comments come during an eventful few days for Pakistan cricket, with head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed also facing media questions over a separate controversy during the ongoing Test series in England.
