‘I Will Personally Congratulate the Player Who Bowls Fastest Delivery’: Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan pacer and world’s fastest bowler, Shoaib Akhtar, has said that he will personally congratulate the fast bowler who breaks his record of the fastest ball.

While commenting on Jammu & Kashmir-born pacer, Umran Malik’s fastest delivery in the ongoing IPL, Akhtar said, “I hope someone breaks my record. I will personally congratulate the player when it happens.”

The Srinagar-born pacer who was named as a net bowler for India’s team for the 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, recently clocked 157 kph against Delhi Capitals, which is also the fastest ball of the ongoing edition in the Indian Premier League.

While answering a question regarding the hardships he faced after he bowled the fastest ball, the Rawalpindi Express said, “I wanted to get it done and dusted. I got jabbed twice in both of my knees which made them numb.”

Akhtar, who has represented Pakistan for almost 15 years bowled the fastest delivery to England’s batter, Nick Knight, in the World Cup game in 2003, clocking 100.2 mph (161.3 kph).

Shoaib Akhtar further added that despite the fears of suffering an injury, he took that risk and broke the record which stands even after almost 20 years.

“Despite fears of suffering an injury, I took that risk and broke the record. Almost 20 years have passed and that record is still intact,” he concluded.

Shoaib Akhtar played 46 Test, 163 ODs, and 15 T20 international matches for Pakistan and picked 178, 163, and 19 wickets respectively. During his time, he gave nightmares to world-class batters like Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, and Ricky Poting.