Pakistan seamer Shoaib Akhtar: “When I started playing cricket I was told you can’t bowl fast and to achieve good speeds of 100 mph I will have to use drugs. But I have always refused to do so”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Legendary Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar revealed that he was told he couldn’t bowl at 100 mph without using drugs.
However, Akhtar made it clear that he never used drugs in his career and was able to break the record for the fastest ball ever bowled, which he still holds to this day.
Akhtar’s quickest delivery was clocked at 161.3 kph (100.2 mph) during Pakistan’s match against England in the 2003 World Cup.
“When I started playing cricket I was told you can’t bowl fast and to achieve good speeds of 100 mph I will have to use drugs. But I have always refused to do so,” he said during the Anti Narcotics Forces’ (ANF) annual drug burning ceremony as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
The 45-year-old represented Pakistan in 46 Tests, where he took 178 wickets at an average of 25.69.
He also featured in 163 ODIs and claimed 247 wickets at an average of 24.97.
As for his T20 International career, Akhtar picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 22.73.
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