Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has tormented and given a tough time to a lot of best in business with his brutal fast bowling throughout his playing days and Bangladesh’s Khaled Mahmud and Tamim Iqbal are among others who have had a hard time facing the world's quickest bowler.
Recently, Tamim, Bangladesh’s current ODI captain, and the veteran batsman had a live online session with former captains Naiumur Rahman Durjoy, Mahmud, and Habibul Bashar in order to keep people entertained during the COVID-lockdown in Bangladesh.
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During the live session, the four captains recalled various enthralling cricketing events, including the 2003 Multan Test. However, Shoaib did not play the Multan Test but he bowled some fiery spells in the prior two Tests and managed 10 wickets at Peshwar.
During the Peshwar Test, Mahmud was one of the batters who fought hard along with the lower middle-order batsmen in the first innings, hitting 25 and was the last wicket to fall out off Shoaib.
Recalling that match, Mahmud said he still has a hard time explaining the facing furious delivery from former pace legend. The former captain added, “I still can't make people believe that I didn't even see the first ball that Shoaib Akhter bowled.”
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Meanwhile, Tamim has only got the opportunity to play against the Rawalpindi Express twice in his career – once in Kenya during a Tri-nation tournament and for the second and final time in 2010, Asia Cup and Akhter managed to dismiss the latter in the first encounter between the two.
Recalling the playing against one of the fiercest bowlers of the world cricket, Tamim said during the live session: “It's not just you, it happened to a lot of people.”
He signed off by saying, “I always say this, I have played many fast bowlers and played bowlers bowling at 150 km per hour but there was only one time that I was scared when I went out to bat, it was when I faced Shoaib Akhter for the first time. That day I felt like he would kill me. He was so scary.”
(With The Daily Star Inputs)
