Why Shoaib Akhtar liked to hit the batsmen with bouncers, revealed himself
In a conversation with former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, Shoaib Akhtar has revealed the secret as to why he loved throwing bouncers so much.
Shoaib Akhtar’s name comes first in the world’s fastest bowlers in the cricket world, who was known for his speed. As long as Shoaib Akhtar remained active in cricket, he troubled the batsmen of the opposition team with his speed and dangerous bouncer balls. Akhtar still holds the record of bowling the fastest ball in international cricket, which he made while bowling 161.3 kmph in the 2003 World Cup.
Shoaib Akhtar loved bowling bouncers and now he has revealed the reason behind his favorite ball. In conversation with former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif, Shoaib Akhtar has revealed the secret as to why he loved to throw bouncers.
Akhtar said, “I used to throw bouncers because I loved watching batsmen jump like monkeys. Not going to lie, I wanted to hit the batsmen on the head because I had the speed. That’s the advantage of being a fast bowler. The former Pakistan pacer said that he used bouncers to create panic among the batsmen. Akhtar said, “I did not like to bowl forward as I liked to hit the ball on the body so that the swelling is visible on the body. The batsman will remember him when he sees his face in the mirror.
During this funny conversation, Mohammad Kaif also revealed a funny anecdote about Shoaib Akhtar’s long bowling runup. Kaif said that when Kaif was facing former Pakistan fast bowler Akhtar in a practice match in Kochi in 1999, he was shocked to see the bowling run-up. Kaif said, “I was thinking that there is such a long run-up so by the time I come after having tea, Akhtar will reach the bowling crease.”
Shoaib Akhtar, popularly known as Rawalpindi Express, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests for Pakistan. At the same time, he took 247 wickets in 163 ODIs and 19 wickets in 15 T20Is. He played his last match on 8 March 2011 against New Zealand.
