Product Code Database
Shoaib Akhtar (; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former international cricketer and commentator. Nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express", he is one of the fastest bowlers in cricketing history. Akhtar made his Test cricket debut in November 1997 as an opening fast bowling and played his first One Day International three months later. Post-retirement, he began a YouTube career by starting his own channel, where he gives reviews on International and league matches and Pakistani cricket.
His father, Mohammad Akhtar, whom Shoaib describes as very religious and “from a hardworking, economically unprivileged family of the Gujjar community”, worked as a night watchman at a petrol station belonging to the Attock oil refinery, and married his mother, Hameeda Awan, when she was a teenager, and they had five children: four sons, Shoaib being the fourth, followed by a daughter, while his name, which in Arabic means both “the one who brings people together” and “the one who separates”, was chosen by his mother.Shoaib Akhtar; Anshu Dogra, Controversially Yours: An Autobiography, HarperCollins (2011), pp. 6–7
He married Rubab Khan on 11 November 2014. In November 2016, they welcomed their first child, a son named Mohammad Mikaeel Ali, and in July 2019 they became parents a second time to another baby boy, Mujaddid. In March 2024, they welcomed a baby girl, Nooreh Ali.
After some struggle, starting his List A career during the 1993/1994 season and his first-class career in 1994/1995, he caught the eye of Majid Khan, then the chief executive of the PCB, and after a good performance for the Pakistan A team's tour of England, in 1996, he was rewarded with his maiden Test cap against the West Indies in 1997.Shoaib Akhtar; Anshu Dogra, Controversially Yours: An Autobiography, HarperCollins (2011), pp. 58–59
Akhtar's run of impressive performances started in 1999, during a pre-World Cup series against India. It was followed by outstanding bowling performances in Sharjah and later in the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Writing in the context of the 1999 World Cup, former West Indies international Colin Croft, who compared his bowling style to that of Waqar Younis "in approach and delivery", also wrote that "Shoaib could very well be the first bowler to pass the official 100 miles per hour mark." His most significant performance was in India in 1999 when he captured eight wickets in the Asian Test championship match at Calcutta – including the wickets of Indian batsmen Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar when he bowled both batsmen off successive deliveries. It was the first ball he ever bowled to Tendulkar. He was also involved in Tendulkar's wicket in the 2nd innings of that same Test, when he was perceived as obstructing him from reaching the crease before he was run out by a long throw from substitute fielder Nadeem Khan, leading to rioting in the stands.
In 2002, he was selected for the Pakistan team against Australia and achieved a small amount of success. However, the team performed poorly during the 2003 Cricket World Cup and after the tournament he was dropped from the Pakistan squad. He was selected back into the Pakistan squad as they had no choice in the 2003 Test match series against New Zealand but struggled in a losing Test series against India in 2004. The series ended with a controversy when he left the field citing an injury leading to suspicions by former Pakistan captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, about his commitment to the team. As a result, his relationship with Inzamam-ul-Haq and former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer deteriorated. A medical panel was set up by the Pakistan Cricket Board to investigate the nature of his injury, however Pakistan officials dispelled all suspicions.
In 2005, Akhtar regained his reputation as a fast bowler for his side. Playing in a three-Test home series against England, he made a series of impressive bowling performances. His effective use of slower deliveries proved to be unplayable by the English batsmen. Akhtar emerged as the highest wicket taker of the series with seventeen wickets. His comeback was also remarkable as prior to his return, he had been criticized from all corners, such as by the Worcestershire chairman John Elliot for his celebrity attitude and lack of commitment to the team. His performance was also acknowledged by the English captain Michael Vaughan, who remarked "I thought he (Shoaib) was a big difference between the two teams".
Throughout his career, he was regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the history of international cricket. He achieved the record of the fastest recorded bowl to date at 161.3 km/h since 1998 when the bowling speed guns were introduced to international cricket with the new speed measuring method. He is also known as one of only three bowlers to have ever broken the 100 mph barrier in cricket history, with a delivery of 100.2 mph, during a one-day international against England at the 2003 World Cup.
In July 2010, he was selected for the Twenty20 series against Australia but the selectors decided not to play him in the Test squad so that he would not get injured. He was subsequently selected for the ODI and Twenty20 series against England in September 2010.
Akhtar returned to the national side representing the country against England in the Twenty20 International. He bowled an impressive spell and returned with figures of 2 wickets for 23 runs. He continued to bowl well in the ODI series in the absence of regular fast-bowlers, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who were suspended by the International Cricket Council amid allegations of Spot-fixing. Despite his relatively good bowling form, Pakistani coach Waqar Younis insisted that the bowling attack must not become reliant on Akhtar, as he was 35 years of age and fitness troubles continued to affect him. Akhtar was selected for the tour of New Zealand and started his campaign off well with 3 wickets on Boxing Day in the first of two Twenty20 Internationals against New Zealand.
Akhtar was selected in Pakistan's 15-man squad to play in the 2011 World Cup hosted by Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka in February to March. During the tournament, he announced that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the World Cup. He was dropped from the squad after group matches and was not included in the quarter final either.
He was sent back from the 2005 Australia tour with a hamstring injury amid rumours of indiscipline, lack of commitment and attitudinal complaints. He was subsequently fined by the Pakistan Cricket Board for avoiding a late-night curfew. ABC Sport – Cricket – Pakistan's Akhtar fined for Australian disco jaunt The rest of his cricketing career was riddled with ankle and knee injuries which forced him to undergo a surgery in February 2006, until finally he was banned for two years for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs.
On 1 November 2006, the Pakistan Cricket Board handed down a two-year suspension to Akhtar and a one-year suspension to Asif, banning them from professional cricket during the period. Shoaib had subsequently been added to Pakistan Olympic Association list of doping offenders. However, on 5 December 2006 represented by his lawyer Abid Hassan Minto, Akhtar was cleared on appeal.
On 5 December 2006, Akhtar and Asif were acquitted by the tribunal appointed to review their appeals. After a clear hearing from Akhtar's lawyer Abid Hassan Minto, the three-man committee, voted two to one in favour of the acquittal. Justice Fakhruddin Ebrahim, committee head, and Haseeb Ahsan, former Test cricketer, were in favour of the acquittal. The third member, Danish Zaheer, differed. "Exceptional circumstances" were cited including discrepancies between the instantaneous offence charges of doping that were laid and the quick delivery of a very harsh verdict. The complete drug testing procedure was concluded to have been technically flawed as it did not follow standard procedures. Other established facts by the committee included that the duo were not aware of the banned drug to be present in their supplements because the Pakistan Cricket Board itself had not informed them of the dangers of contaminated supplements.
Akhtar and Asif, however, did not play in the subsequent Test match series against the West Indies because the Pakistan Cricket Board had recommended that they play domestic games first to recover form and fitness. On 1 March 2007 Akhtar and Asif were ruled out of the Pakistani squad for the 2007 Cricket World Cup by team officials, minutes before the squad was to depart for the West Indies. The team management along with the Pakistan Cricket Board said their injuries were too severe to risk taking them to the Caribbean. Since neither of the two had been declared fit they did not undergo official doping tests. Shoaib and Asif out of the World Cup:
World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA) challenged Pakistan's decision to lift bans on fast bowlers Akhtar and Asif by taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. The ICC supported the WADA appeal adding that it was committed to a dope free game. On 2 July 2007, the Court of Arbitration for Sport dropped the case, ruling it had no jurisdiction to challenge the decision made by PCB. Court has no jurisdiction in doping case. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 3 July 2007. Court cannot rule on Pakistan duo. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 3 July 2007.
On 1 April 2008, Akhtar was banned for five years for violating the players' code of conduct. The ban extended to all cricket for and in Pakistan. Shoaib banned for five years. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. Despite the ban not preventing him from playing in the Indian Premier League, the IPL governing council decided not to allow Akhtar to play in the tournament until the end of the ban or unless it is lifted. IS Bindra, a member of the council, was quoted as saying, "Even though they the have cleared him to play for IPL, we felt that international discipline needs to be respected." Shoaib cannot play in IPL. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. Meanwhile, Akhtar vowed to go to great lengths to fight the ban, "I will appeal, as is my right. If that fails I will go to court, if that fails then I will go to the Supreme Court." 'I have been victimised' – Shoaib. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. On 3 April, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf served a legal notice on Akhtar, calling on him to retract statements he made to a news channel, alleging the ban was punishment in return for refusing to give the chairman a share of his earnings from the Indian Premier League, Ashraf also sought damages of Rs 100 million (approximately US$1.6 million) for "defaming him personally" and an additional Rs 100 million to the Pakistan Cricket Board for "sullying the name of the Pakistan Cricket Board and the Pakistan Cricket team." Ashraf files notice against Shoaib. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. A three-man appellate tribunal announced on 30 April that they had temporarily upheld Akhtar's five-year ban, deciding to revisit the appeal hearing in June. Shoaib's five-year ban upheld. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. Despite Akhtar's later retracting his claims and also issuing an unconditional apology for "any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Nasim Ashraf", Ashraf's legal counsel filed a Rs 220 million (approx. US$3.37 million) defamation suit against Akhtar in a civil court in Lahore on 2 May. Ashraf files defamation suit against Shoaib. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. On 4 May, the Pakistan Cricket Board's appellate tribunal suspended the five-year ban for one month, until they reconvene on 4 June, allowing Akhtar to take part in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Shoaib cleared to play in IPL. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 4 May 2008. A day later, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced that they will no longer pursue the defamation suit following a reconciliation between Akhtar and chairman Nasim Ashraf at the house of Rehman Malik, a key political official, in Islamabad. "My honour has been vindicated and now the defamation lawsuit will not be pursued," Ashraf was quoted as saying. PCB softens stance on Shoaib. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 5 May 2008.
On 4 September 2008, Akhtar was sent back home from Heathrow airport by British immigration officials on visa grounds; Akhtar only had a visit visa but not a working visa, which is required to play in county cricket. He subsequently obtained the necessary visa and returned to play with English county club Surrey. Akhtar returns home after visa hitch . Cricdb.com. Retrieved on 4 September 2008.
On 21 May 2009, Akhtar was dropped from 2009 ICC World Twenty20 Pakistan squad because of genital warts. During an interview in June 2009 former Pakistan cricket team head coach Geoff Lawson remarked that Shoaib was totally unprofessional as a cricketer, despite his rare natural talent a player with his attitude wouldn't even be picked by a club team in Australia.
In July 2012, Akhtar accused the PCB stating that there was too much "politics" in the Board and some of its officials did not want Pakistani team to win.
In February 2023, he was criticized for saying that Babar Azam was not a "brand" because he "lacks character" and was unable to speak good English language, extending this criticism to other players as well.
It was met with positive reviews, observers noting the interest of having Shoaib's comments, nearly always critical, on issues pertaining to the administration of cricket in Pakistan, the controversies surrounding ball tampering and his views on cricketers, from Pakistan as well outside.
In February 2023, he launched his own The Shoaib Akhtar Show on the OTT platform UrduFlix.
| Hindi | ||||
| Colors TV | ||||
| Judge | ||||
| Urdu | ||||
| Guest | ||||
| Hum Sitaray | ||||
| 2019 | YouTube | Self | English | |
| 2023 | The Shoaib Akhtar Show | UrduFlix | Host | Urdu |
| + !Year !Title !Channel !Role !Language | ||||
| 2024 | 22 Qadam | Green Entertainment | Self | Urdu |
| + !Year !Title !Channel !Role !Language | ||||
| 2025 | The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan | Netflix | Self | English |
|
|
