As all Indians, cricket flows in my veins. Cricket is a religion for me since my young days. I have not limited my craze only to the Indian boundaries but I have been following world cricket since my early childhood.
Many famous cricketers have influenced me with their superb skills, Shoaib Akhtar is definetly one of them. I did?nt used to neglect his unimaginable skills because he was a ?Pakistani?.
Shoaib akhtar was born on 13th Aug. 1975 in rawalpindi and due to his extreme pace he is called the ?Rawalpindi Express?. He played for almost every team in Pakistan before making his debut from the international side in the season of 1997-98. He has amazed all the cricketing world with his unbeatable pace. No doubt he is the world?s fastest bowler and only Brett Lee can come close to his destructive pace. The factor which attracts me and other youth viewers towards him is when he is charging in from the boundary towards the batsmen, flying the movement of his hair is as rhythmic as good music, the aggression can easily be seen on his face. He is a aggressive fast bowler, who on his day can turn the match on his head in a single spell. His commitment to the team can be felt with his 100 percent effort while delivering every ball. He is quite capable of scaring batsmen with some rocket deliveries. Even the Little master has struggled against his super skills of bowling fast swinging balls.
Former Pakistani captain Imran Khan said that the speedster has a ultimate weapon in a form of a leathal Yorker, which we all would be very fond of whereas the coach Javed Miandad says shoaib?s topgun is his fast beaming bouncer.So by taking in contention these two statements we can say he has the potential to be theworld?s greatest bowler but if he uses his mind well & cuts his over aggression down.
He has not only won hearts in Pakistan or Asia for that matter, but all the world-wide spectators love to see him glide after taking yet another wicket. But as he himself says that his cricketing talent is not restricted to fast bowling itself, he fancies himself to be good lower order batsmen. He says ?Wasim bhai induced the virus of batting into me and now I?am quite confident in facing any bowler?. He sure can entertain crowds with his lusty hitting but his stats does not reflect his batting abilities.
He is not only a hot property on a cricketing field but he amazes all with his good looks too. As many of the girls across the world are impressed by his masculine body. Some of the Bollywood actresses have commented recently on his fabulous hair style & his aggression & dedication towards the game.
Mahima Chaudhury: I feel Shoaib Akhtar is the hottest because I like the way he runs, his concentration levels, his dedication, commitment to what he is doing and his passion for the game. All that makes him really appealing. He is such a powerful player and runs like a horse.
But he is a man who has never been away from cricketing headlines while playing or not? There have been several people saying that Shoaib ?Chucks? at times. The English media also said that during the World cup he was ball tampering at times. The controversy regarding his bowling action did not ended after he was given a clean chit by the ICC, the recent tour of India raised Questions about his action again. Not only this the recent tour also proved fatal because of his decision of not bowling after attaining a injury in wrist & lower back. This incident also lead to a quarrel between the captain and himself.
But I feel the team wanted him so badly on the field, that the whole scene was created. If a player like Dinesh Kaneria had done the same I?am quite confident that he would have faced no disputes.
I know he is not flawless as no one of us is. So one should look at one?s flaws first before pointing fingers.
His only negative or disability which I can make out is his mental preparation for a cricket match. Some of the hasty decisions that he would have made have all come under pressure situations. He feels the pressure of being the world?s fastest bowler and leading a young Pakistani bowling attack, the expectations from him are so high that he over burdens himself with thoughts. Same situation was with The Little Master a few years ago.
So I expect him to feel a little free as he was under the guidance of Wasim and Waqar and he will deliver the goods for a formidable Pakistani team. If he does so no wonder he will conquer the cricketing world.
I personally wish him luck for his future, I hope he makes his team win against all opponents except team India.