Pakistan pace icon Shoaib Akhtar: “Now you’ll say that I stayed unfit throughout my career. But even if I was unfit, I bowled in such a way that jaws would drop. Then that is not unfit, that is sheer will and madness for my country”
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Legendary Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar said he even when he was unfit, he bowled “in such a way that jaws would drop” as he had “sheer will and madness” to perform for his country.
The Rawalpindi Express made the comments after pointing out how Pakistan left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi was not fully fit during the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Afridi had been recovering from a knee injury coming into the tournament, but injured his knee again in the final against England.
Akhtar, who still holds the record for the fastest ball bowled at 161.3 kph (100.2 mph), pointed out that some people will say that he was unfit throughout his career. But he noted that what separates him from Afridi is that he was still able to amaze everyone even when he was not at 100 percent.
“Now you’ll say that I stayed unfit throughout my career. But even if I was unfit, I bowled in such a way that jaws would drop. Then that is not unfit, that is sheer will and madness for my country,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricwick.
Due to the injury he sustained in the T20 World Cup final, Afridi missed Pakistan’s Test series against England, where they were whitewashed 3-0.
He also missed the two-Test series against New Zealand, which ended as a 0-0 draw, and the three-match ODI series that followed, which Pakistan lost 2-1.
The 22-year-old pace spearhead is expected to make his comeback in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he will captain the Lahore Qalandars, who are the reigning champions.
PSL 8 will take place from February 13 to March 19, with all matches set to be held in five cities in Pakistan – Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi and Quetta.