Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has given nightmares to many batsmen. During his playing years, many batsmen got injured because of his pace bowling. Known as the Rawalpindi Express, Akhtar is considered one of the fastest bowlers to have played cricket.
A few days ago, Akhtar spoke on how he felt after his fast deliveries hit any batsman, during a conversation with Pakistani presenter Sawera Pasha on her Youtube show Cric Cast.
Recalling an incident from an English county match, the former fast bowler narrated what happened when he asked a batsman named Matthew Maynard, who played from Glamorgan, to stop the game due to bad light. Akhtar played for English county team Worcestershire.
Akhtar said that he told Maynard that due to bad light it was not right to face his fast deliveries at that time.
“But he said ‘let’s face you’. So I went around the wicket and bowled a fast bouncer. It wasn’t very dark but I felt it would be difficult to face my pace. The ball hit him on the face and he fell on the wickets. I thought, this guy is dead,” said Akhtar.
The former fast bowler divulged that Maynard fell on wickets and he (batsman) was in a lot of pain.
He also said that every time his bowls hit any batsman he felt bad.
Last week, wishing Akhtar on his 45th birthday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) referred to him as “one of the fastest bowlers ever”.
Akhtar bowled his fastest delivery against England in a 2003 World Cup match, clocking 161.3km/h.