Shoaib Akhtar has been announced as the Global Ambassador of Baseball United, a league bringing baseball to our region. He also pitched baseball in the event at the Dubai International Stadium which is a multi-sporting arena.
Akhtar retired from cricket in 2011, and his stature as a global star has grown even further. He has endorsed many brands and regularly does commentary gigs in India and Pakistan.
He bowled the fastest delivery in cricket’s history, 161.3 kmph (100.2 mph) in a One-Day International (ODI) match against England during the 2003 ICC World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa. England’s Nick Knight faced the delivery with a straight bat, resulting in a dot ball.
#OnThisDay in 2003 @shoaib100mph registered his name in the record books by bowling the fastest delivery officially recorded at 100.2 MPH in @cricketworldcup game against England.pic.twitter.com/PE8RuwrW1i
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) February 22, 2021
Baseball United, run by Kash Shaikh, is a baseball league whose main goal is to raise awareness about the sport in South Asia and the Middle East region. Two Pakistani players played in the All-Star event this weekend, Syed Muhammad Shah and Wahid, as the league decided to culminate into a full-fledged tournament.
United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia have promoted sporting events in recent years. Boxing, golf, football World Cup, etc. have all taken place in the Middle East in the last few years.
With the introduction of baseball, we can add another sport to the list.
