Rawalpindi Express
Pakistan’s speedster Shoaib Akthar has announced his retirement from international cricket after his ongoing world cup campaign. The 35 year old has had an accelerating cricketing career for the last 13 years. He delivered his farewell speech on Thursday morning at the Premadasa Stadium. His team players and coaching staff stood besides bidding farewell to one of the greatest fast bowlers of the era.
Akthar’s breakthrough came when he toured India in 1999 during which he bowled the legend Sachin Tendulkar he faced. It turned out to be an epic battle whenever these two met again on the battlefield. Shoaib impressed in the Asian Test Championship in Calcutta when he scalped 8 wickets including the prize wickets of Sachin and Dravid in successive balls. This set his reputation on track when he tore apart the batting line-up of the “INVINCIBLE AUSSIES” in 2002 when he had figures of 6/11. His one day appearance seemed much better than the tests when he got a five for against the Kangaroos in Brisbane. Shoaib loved bowling in New Zealand when he dethroned the Kiwis with match figures of 11/43 in Wellington in 2003 and even bagged 6/16 in a one day match against the black caps in the same ground in 2002. He has been a bowler difficult to handle simply because of magnificent speed. He supported that statement by creating history by bowling at 161.3 km/h in the 2003 world cup against England.
Akthar’s cricketing career has always hung on the balance after he made a name for himself in the international arena. He has been at the center of controversies for Pakistan Cricket. The 2003 turned out to be a disaster for the speedster. After a poor show in the world cup he was involved in a verbal conflict with his captain Waqar Younis. He became the second bowler in the history to be banned for ball tampering. He was also banned for a test and 2 ODI’s for abusing Paul Adams. His tour of India in 2004 was not better as he sustained himself with injury worries.He got his way back home during the tour of Australia in 2005 owing to his poor attitude. However his main setback was when he was tested positive a drug named nandralone and subsequently the board had suspended him along with Mohammad Asif. But Akthar fought his way out from the ban after being cleared of charges in December 2006.
In a career raging over 13 years in cricket the Rawalpindi Express has played only 46 test matches and that shows his inconsistent stability. But still he has been a great bowler nevertheless and will stand out as the man who broke all the speed barriers and remains as one of the best fast bowlers up to date.
Tags: Cricket, ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, Pakistan, Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar, WC, World Cup
