Bhubaneswar: In his hey days, Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar not only destroyed the opposition, but also instilled fear in the minds and hearts of batsmen. Such was Shoaib Akhtar’s searing pace that batsmen preferred not to face him. Akhtar in spite of retiring from the game is always in the news for his controversial comments.
Akhtar recently has said that during the early days of his playing career he was asked to take drugs by senior players of the Pakistan team. “When I started paying cricket I was told you can’t bowl fast. To achieve good speed of 100mph and above I will have to use drugs. But I have always refused to do so,” Akhtar revealed. He made the comment while attending the Anti-Narcotics Forces’ (ANF) annual drug burning ceremony.
Akhtar was nicknamed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ for his raw pace. Till this day, he holds the record of bowling the fastest-ever delivery in a game. Akhtar clocked 161.3mph while bowling to Nick Knight in the 2003 World Cup game against England. However, Knight managed to negotiate it.
There have been allegations of rampant drug use in the Pakistan dressing room in the late 1990s and the first part of the 2000 decade. However, there has been no proof to substantiate the allegations. Akhtar’s revelations will no doubt add fuel to the controversy.
Akhtar, meanwhile, also tweeted a few images of the event he attened on Twitter. In the caption, he asked youngsters to focus on health to attain a bright future.
“It was my honour being the speaker/guest of honor at the symbolic drug burning ceremony by Anti Narcotics Force of Pakistan. ANF is making efforts to the best of its capacity & resources for a drug free Pakistan. Play sports, work out & do healthy activities for a bright future,” Akhtar captioned the tweet.
See link: https://twitter.com/shoaib100mph/status/1330823488484077569
In his playing career, Akhtar played 46 Tests and picked up 178 wickets. In 163 ODIs he finished with 247 wickets while in 15 T20Is he dismissed 19 batsmen. However, he is most remembered for the way he troubled batsmen with sheer pace.