During his playing days, Shoaib Akhtar was an injury-prone fast bowler. In his international career spanning 14 years, Akhtar managed to play only 46 Tests for Pakistan as his fragile body couldn’t take much load of the five-day format.
Fondly known as the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib particularly struggled with the knee injury and it is something that continues to trouble him even after 11 years of his retirement from cricket.
Recently, Shoaib Akhtar underwent another surgery on his right knee at a hospital in Melbourne, Australia.
The 46-year-old shared an emotional video on his Instagram account from the hospital bed, informing the fans that his surgery went well and also urged them to pray for his speedy recovery.
In the video, Akhtar further said that he retired early from the game because of this knee problem and had he played for 4-5 more years, he could have ended up in a wheelchair.
“I could have played for another four to five years. But I was aware that if I did, I would become wheelchair-bound. That’s the reason why I retired from cricket," the former speedster stated in the video.
He also hoped that this was the last time he underwent a surgery.
"Currently I am in pain. Need your prayers. Hopefully this is my last surgery,” Shoaib said.
However, Shoaib Akhtar feels it was all worth it in the end as he got the chance to represent Pakistan at the highest level.
“Again, it was all worth it for Pakistan. Perks of bowling fast, this is what happens, you have to lose bones, but that’s ok, if I had to do it all over again, I will do it," he remarked.
Shoaib Akhtar played 163 ODIs for Pakistan, claiming 247 wickets at an impressive average of 24.97. He was lethal with the red ball too as he picked up 178 wickets at an average of 25.69, including 12 five-wicket hauls.
He holds the record of bowling the world’s fastest delivery by clocking 161.3 km/h against England during the 2003 World Cup
