SHOAIB AKHTAR SAYS HE WAS BORN A CRIPPLE, SAINT'S PREDICTION LEFT MOTHER WORRIED: 'MIRACLE HAPPENED AT THE AGE OF 9'

Whenever the term 'pacers' is and will be mentioned in the annals of cricket, Shoaib Akhtar will remain a constant. The Rawalpindi Express, as he was famously called, became the first-ever tearaway pacer to grace the world of international cricket. Of course, the renowned West Indies quartet of Andy Robers, Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding defined the first-true era of fast bowling. As did Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee, but with Akhtar's emergence, the vision that a bowler could consistently bowl at 150 kph was realised.

With Akhtar's debut in 1997, Pakistan had produced a new addition to their factory of fast bowlers that had already delivered legends like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Akhtar played 163 ODIs, 46 Tests and 15 T20Is for Pakistan, picking up 444 international wickets during a 14-year career. And to think that all of this wouldn't have even happened. Why? Akhtar, one of the most fearsome fast bowlers ever, revealed that he couldn't even walk at birth. He was, in fact, a 'cripple' at the time of birth. For 8 years, Akhtar had trouble walking when things changed instantly.

"A saint used to come to our house. So, he said, 'One guy will come, who will gain fame and recognition all over the world. And my mother was worried. She asked, 'Who will be that guy? Who will it be? What will he do?" Akhtar said on the India vs Pakistan The Greatest Rivalry.

"She told me when I was born, I was crippled. I could not walk. But you know a miracle happened at the age of 9. and I started running. I was running as quick as light."

There's only one Shoaib Akhtar

It's been 14 years since Akhtar retired, but ask anyone from that era who was the fastest bowler they faced. Akhtar faced fiery competition from Brett Lee and, for a while, New Zealand's Shane Bond and Shaun Tait of Australia, but there was no one quicker than Shoaib. At the 2003 World Cup, Shoaib became the first man to break the 100 miles per hour barrier, when he dished out at 161.3 kmph rocket against England's Nick Knight, a record that is yet to be broken.

Many have since come and gone, and while names such as Matt Henry, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson all have pace, there is only one Shoaib Akhtar. From India, Umran Yadav began well but faded away due to injuries.

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2025-02-07T09:03:15Z