Yet another paper tiger and feet of clay has been thoroughly exposed. The fastest bowler in the world, the next Jeff Thomson, Marshall, Imran, the supposedly most exciting cricketer in the world is in tatters now. The vainglorious loud mouth, the ’’Salman’’ of Pakistan cricket( though I must say Salman seems like a gentleman compared to this guy) has been thoroughly exposed. Hats off to the Indian team, for not only defeating Pakistan thoroughly in the one days and Tests, but also busting the myth called Shoaib Akhtar.
Lets start with his bowling prowess. The fact is he is just a tearaway quick, who believes bowling is about shouting, screaming and bowling at fast speeds. He just has no intelligence nor control in his bowling. He has been a media made figure. One just cannot compare this bloke with greats like Imran, Wasim and Waqar. They were not just tearaway quicks, they were some of the most intelligent bowlers, and Shoaib has a long, long way to go before he can consider himself at that level. Pace bowling is not just sending down super express deliveries but outhinking the batsman, playing on his weaknesses, variation and control, and Shoaib just doesnt have any of these attributes.
And now to the most important attribute, the thing called as character, Shoaib just doesnt have that character in him to be considered among the all time characters. He has a habit of shooting his mouth off at every considerable occasion. Take the WC 2003, when on the eve of the crucial India-Pakistan match, he boasted about how he had a plan for every batsman. Well dont know about that, but the Indians did have a plan for him, and he was hammered left and right, with Sachin hammering him out of the attack. Even before the recent Indo-Pak series, he boasted about his bowling prowess. Well his prowess stood exposed as batsman after batsman, from Sehwag, Sachin, Yuvraj to Laxman and Dravid went after him, grinding his bowling to the dust.
And now comes the unkindest cut of all. The 3rd day of the final test in Pindi is crucial for Pakistan, its a do or die situation for them. Though India has a lead of 100 plus runs, match is not yet over. Shoaib was bowling well on the 2nd day, and he retired hurt at the end. And he didnt turn up on the 3rd day citing an injury, at a stage when Pakistan needed him. And that injury didnt prevent him from comming on the 4th day when all was lost and enjoying his batting. No wonder Inzamam is so fed up with this guy. Pakistan’s cricket history is replete with instances of players like Wasim Akram, Imran Khan, Javed Miandad playing with injuries when their side needed them the most.
The history of Test cricket is replete with examples of true grit. Malcolm Marshall comming with an injured left hand and giving support to GOmes, and then taking 7 wickets in a Test match vs England, Kapil Dev taking pain killer injections and comming back to bowl out Australia for a low total at Melbourne in 1981. Why even Shoaib’s team mate Kamal who was severely injured in left hand played a gutsy innings and showed what character is all about. If Pakistan need to click as a team, they need more people like Kamal not the Shoaibs.
So thats the fact. The myth of Shoaib Akhtar has been busted. And he has been shown up to be a selfish, loudmouth vainglorious fellow.