Anti-climactic end to Shoaib's career
Source: Agencies |
April 1, 2011, Friday
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A CAREER that began so promisingly 14 years ago with Shoaib Akhtar refusing to take off his first Pakistan kit for three days, ended with a dressing down on Wednesday when the fast bowler was reduced to being a 'waterboy'.
The man who was nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express" for his ability to bowl at high speeds had been hoping for one last hurrah in Wednesday's World Cup semifinal against traditional foe India.
However, Pakistan's defeat by India brought one of the most controversial careers in cricket to a screeching halt.
"The best moment was when I got the first kit for the test match and there was a huge star on my chest," an emotional Shoaib said after announcing his decision to quit two weeks ago. "I wore that kit and I slept in that kit and I just couldn't believe that I was going to wake up in that kit. I didn't take if off for three days."
Luckily for Shoaib, his 46-test and 163-ODI appearances ensured he received a regular supply of team strips for almost a decade and a half but from now, there will be no more new kits arriving on his doorstep.
He finished with 178 test wickets and 247 ODI scalps - a record he will not be too pleased with. The 35-year-old made his debut in a test match against West Indies in 1997 and immediately caught everyone's attention as the fastest bowler of his generation.
Controversies
Considered by many as the heir to Pakistan fast bowling greats Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Shoaib disappointed most with a career blighted by injuries and controversies stemming from his indiscipline.
At this World Cup, reports emerged that Shoaib had angrily kicked his teammate Kamran Akmal after the wicketkeeper had dropped New Zealand's Ross Taylor twice in the space of three deliveries during a group stage match.
Pakistan played down the clash but that match proved to be Shoaib's last international outing. He was reduced to carrying drinks to his teammates on the field on Wednesday, an end the fast bowler would have despised when he announced his retirement midway through the showpiece event.
"It feels like it's my first death," he had said. "Pakistan's last match in this World Cup will also be my last."
The man who was nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express" for his ability to bowl at high speeds had been hoping for one last hurrah in Wednesday's World Cup semifinal against traditional foe India.
However, Pakistan's defeat by India brought one of the most controversial careers in cricket to a screeching halt.
"The best moment was when I got the first kit for the test match and there was a huge star on my chest," an emotional Shoaib said after announcing his decision to quit two weeks ago. "I wore that kit and I slept in that kit and I just couldn't believe that I was going to wake up in that kit. I didn't take if off for three days."
Luckily for Shoaib, his 46-test and 163-ODI appearances ensured he received a regular supply of team strips for almost a decade and a half but from now, there will be no more new kits arriving on his doorstep.
He finished with 178 test wickets and 247 ODI scalps - a record he will not be too pleased with. The 35-year-old made his debut in a test match against West Indies in 1997 and immediately caught everyone's attention as the fastest bowler of his generation.
Controversies
Considered by many as the heir to Pakistan fast bowling greats Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Shoaib disappointed most with a career blighted by injuries and controversies stemming from his indiscipline.
At this World Cup, reports emerged that Shoaib had angrily kicked his teammate Kamran Akmal after the wicketkeeper had dropped New Zealand's Ross Taylor twice in the space of three deliveries during a group stage match.
Pakistan played down the clash but that match proved to be Shoaib's last international outing. He was reduced to carrying drinks to his teammates on the field on Wednesday, an end the fast bowler would have despised when he announced his retirement midway through the showpiece event.
"It feels like it's my first death," he had said. "Pakistan's last match in this World Cup will also be my last."
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