When you hear the name, Shoaib Akhtar, you immediately think about a bowler running in at the batsman with full might and delivering unplayable balls and unimaginable speeds. The former Pakistan bowler, on April 27, 2002, created history by becoming the first-ever bowler to clock 100 miles per hour.
Shoaib achieved this feat during an ODI match between Pakistan and New Zealand played in Lahore. During the Kiwi’s run chase, Shoaib, while bowling to Craig MacMillan, delivered a ball clocked at 161kph (100.04mph). With this, the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ became the first bowler ever in cricket history to breach the 100 mph mark.
On this day, I was at one of my favorite grounds in the world i.e Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.Temperature was soaring high, Adrenalin was higher! HahaWhat an amazing memory. Something that got me the tag of ‘fastest bowler on the planet’.Allah ka bahut bahut Shukar itni izzat di. pic.twitter.com/b8Wvv2ozi7— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) April 27, 2019
Much to the disappointment of Shoaib Akhtar and the fans, the delivery was officially disregarded by the International Cricket Council (ICC), citing that the speed guns used during the ODI were provided by one of the sponsors. As per The Guardian, the delivery was measured on a device supplied by a Lahore hi-tech company, Cybernet.
“The speed machine is authentic and it should be acknowledged throughout the world. With my fitness regained, and the speed I am generating, I can deliver over 100mph any day. I would be delighted if it’s accepted,” Shoaib Akhtar had said, as per The Guardian.
That did not stop the rampant fast bowler, though, as he emulated his own feat to enter the record books, bowling a 100.2 mph (161.3 kph) delivery to Nick Knight during Pakistan’s group stage match against England at the 2003 World Cup.
The match was played at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South Africa. Shoaib Akhtar broke the 28-year-old record set by Australia’s tearaway quick Jeff Thomson, who bowled a 160.6 kph delivery against West Indies in 1975.
It was not just one particular delivery from Akhtar that was awe-striking. The entire over, which ended as a maiden with the 161.3 kph delivery, was bowled at extremely high speeds. His over recorded speeds of 153.3 kph, 158.4 kph, 158.5 kph, 157.4 kph, 159.5 kph, and 161.3 kph, averaging an outrageous and scarcely believable 158.06 kph.
Shoaib Akhtar had made his debut for Pakistan on November 29, 1997, in a Test match against Pakistan.
During his illustrious career, the speedster played 46 Tests, 163 ODIs, and 15 T20Is, picking up a total of 444 wickets in international cricket. Shoaib featured in his last game for Pakistan on March 8, 2011, at the 2011 World Cup.
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