Tauqir Zia: “I considered Shoaib Akhtar to be a match-winner and that is why I supported him throughout”
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Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Tauqir Zia said he always considered legendary Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar to be a match-winner.
Akhtar represented his country in 46 Tests, where he claimed 178 wickets at an average of 25.69.
He also played 163 ODIs and picked up 247 wickets at an average of 24.97.
As for T20 Internationals, the 46-year-old snapped up 19 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 22.73.
The Rawalpindi Express still holds the record for the fastest ball bowled in international cricket at 161.3 kph during his side’s match against England at the 2003 World Cup.
“I considered Shoaib Akhtar to be a match-winner and that is why I supported him throughout. Look how much he has achieved and he achieved it not because of me but because of [the] Almighty,” Zia told Cricket Pakistan.