The One & Only “Rawalpindi Express”
There are many great bowlers but none more passionate and electrifying than Shoaib Akhtar. Nicknamed “Rawalpindi Express” as a tribute to his hometown and fast bowling, Shoaib Akhtar was the first bowler in the history of the game to break 100mph barrier, a feat that was previously considered impossible to achieve. His ability to bowl fast yorkers and quick bouncers made him one of the best and deadliest bowlers in the game of Cricket.
Shoaib Akhtar made his Test debut for Pakistan in November 1997 as an opening fast bowler and played his first One Day International on 28th March 1998. Shoaib Akhtar has a number of fast bowling records. He has bowled at speeds of 159.3 km/h, 160 km/h, 159 km/h and 158.4 km/h. The fastest was against England in the 2003 Cricket World Cup when the delivery was recorded at 161.3 km/h.
An Impressive International Career
Shoaib Akhtar’s test career started at his home ground in Rawalpindi with the 2nd Test against the West Indies. He was subsequently included in the tour of South Africa during the winter of 1998, where he played in all three tests. He was notably the spearhead of a depleted Pakistani bowling attack in the Peshawar Test against the visiting Australians later in 1998.
Shoaib Akhtar’s run of impressive performances for Pakistan Cricket Team started in 1999, during a pre-World Cup series against India. It was followed by outstanding bowling performances in Sharjah and later at the 1999 Cricket World Cup. His most significant performance was in India in 1999 when he captured eight wickets in the Asian Test championship match at Calcutta โ€“ including the wickets of Indian batsmen Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar when he bowled both batsmen in successive deliveries. It was the first ball he ever bowled to Tendulkar.
In 2005, Shoaib Akhtar played in three Test home series against England, he made a series of impressive bowling performances. His effective use of slower deliveries proved to be unplayable by the English batsmen. Akhtar emerged as the highest wicket taker of the series with seventeen wickets.
Dedication To Pakistan
Shoaib Akhtar thrilled his fans and audiences all over the world with some breathtaking bowling. Nothing brought him more joy than playing and winning for people of Pakistan. But the effort he put in, day in and day out, put immense strain on his body and resulted in several injuries.
After missing the series against India and West Indies, Shoaib came back for the series against England and finished with 17 wickets, hence silencing his critics.
Shoaib Akhtar is a living testament of dedication and unrelenting efforts some sports personalities make in order to win glory for their country. Shoaib may have retired from International Cricket, but his playing days are still etched in the memory of his fans all over the world.