COLOMBO:
Pakistan’s maverick paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose colourful career has been a heady mix of on-field brilliance and off-field controversy, will quit international cricket after the World Cup.
“Yes, I will quit international cricket after the World Cup” the 35-year-old told AFP. “I have taken this decision after much thought. Pakistan’s last match in this World Cup will also be my last. I hope that will be the final on April 2.”
Akhtar made up his mind after Pakistan’s 110-run defeat against New Zealand, in which he went for 70 runs in his nine overs.
He was rested for the match against Zimbabwe on Monday and was thought to be an unlikely starter for Saturday’s last Group A match against Australia.
Akhtar, who made his international debut in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the last of which was against India at Bangalore in 2007. He is three wickets short of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan squad members hugged him in the dressing room on Thursday before captain Shahid Afridi embraced him as the players entered the R. Premadasa stadium for practice.
Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tearaway days as one of Test cricket’s most feared if unpredictable talents, once cracked the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.
At this World Cup, which was always likely to be his swansong, Akhtar looked neat and tidy with figures of 0-10 and 2-42 against Kenya and Sri Lanka respectively.
He missed the win over Canada and was smashed all over the park at Pallekele against New Zealand, with figures of 1-70, before being dropped for the game with Zimbabwe.
But his career will always be remembered for a series of fitness problems, discipline violations as well as a doping offence that put the brakes on his achieving his true potential.
Akhtar and the now banned Mohammad Asif failed drugs tests in 2006 and were suspended for two years and one year respectively, both of which were lifted on appeal.
Fitness problems forced him to miss the 2007 World Cup while he was fined heavily and banned for 13 ODIs, after he hit Asif with a bat, two days before the 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.
Shoaib Akhtar career timeline
Shoaib Akhtar’s career timeline after the Pakistan pace bowler on Thursday announced his retirement from international cricket after the World Cup:
1996
Removed from the team for the Sahara Cup against India in Canada on grounds of indiscipline.
1997
Akhtar makes his Test debut against the West Indies in November at his home ground in Rawalpindi, taking two wickets.
February 1999
Akhtar dismisses Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid off successive deliveries in the Calcutta Test, which Pakistan win to lift the Asian Test championship. Earns nickname of “Rawalpindi Express”.
December 1999
Akhtar’s action called for the first time, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) allows him to carry as only his bouncer causes concerns.
March 2000
Banned for one ODI and fined for reaching team hotel late in Pakistan.
2001
Akhtar’s action called for second time after taking five wickets in New Zealand.
November 2001
Action called for third time in Sharjah, after which Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) carries out examination at University of Western Australia which concludes his action is result of “unique physical characteristics” which form basis of him being cleared to continue.
November 2002
Reprimanded for ball-tampering and banned for one ODI after throwing water bottle at a spectator in Zimbabwe.
May 2003
Banned for two ODIs and fined 75 per cent of match fee for ball-tampering during a tri-series in Sri Lanka
March 2003
Akhtar bowled at 100mph in Pakistan’s match against England at Cape Town, becoming the first bowler in the history of the game to break the 100mph barrier.
October 2003
Banned for one Test and two ODIs for abusing Paul Adams in the first Test against South Africa, after taking eight wickets in the match to help Pakistan win. In second Test against New Zealand, helps Pakistan win with seven-wicket burst (11 in the match).
March 2004
Akhtar accused of feigning injury after Pakistan lost Test series to archrivals India 2-1.
October 2006
Akhtar and Mohammad Asif test positive for banned steroid nandrolone. Akhtar banned for two years and Asif for one year, bans which were lifted on appeal.
September 2007
Akhtar hits Asif with a bat, two days before the World Twenty20 in South Africa. A month later the PCB fine and ban him for 13 one-day matches
January 2008
Excluded from list of central contracts. A fuming Akhtar criticises the PCB. A disciplinary committee bans him for five years. Punishment reduced to 18 months on appeal, but fine imposed
May 2009
PCB drop him from World Twenty20 squad.
January 2011
Selected in Pakistan’s World Cup squad, despite coach Waqar Younis saying he is not 100 percent fit.
March 2011
Akhtar announces he will retire after the World Cup
one of the great bowkers pakistan ever had.it is always exciting to see shoaib run up.
Sources say that he made this decision after receiving thrashings at the hands of Taylor in the just concluded world cup match when he finally realized that he is no more the same Shoaib of twenties…
Anyways All the best for your future endeavors, you served Pakistan cricket well enough!
He should go now as a favour to Pakistan and to the cricket world. I thought he was going to Bollywood for pseudo bowling action, which is what he does in real life.
@ILLIDAN-
Are you being sarcastic!?
Take a bow Shoaib. I’ve not seen a cricket who generates more adrenaline & intensity on the ground like you.
Its definitely time to call it quits. I wish PCB was a little lenient towards you.
Farewell Rawalpindi Express. You have reached your destination.
Farewell
Should have done the nation a favor and left BEFORE the world cup.
Shoaib, wish you kept your head on the shoulder and not did what you did in your career. I think you deserve to be kicked out right now.
We will miss him, just few crowd pullers are left in our team and obviously he was one of them.
we hd missed all our bst bowlers muhaammad asif and muhamad amir
and nw we wil loose shoaib akhtar also 🙁
@umar sid… asif and amir were traitors/cheats… get over them and stop crying like a baby.
One of the most controversial yet great characters of PAK cricket. Thanks Rawalpindi Express for being a great competitor on the ground.
A lion…. we will miss your roar….
But his career will always be remembered for a series of fitness problems, discipline violations as well as a doping offence that put the brakes on his achieving his true potential.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I think he will be remembered as the fastest and most dangerous bowler in the world. Have you seen him hit Tendulkar on his head, not to mention too many other greats?!
The man did what few others could positively. Let bygones be bygones.
Farewell Rawalpindi Express, and Godspeed!
King of Bouncer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scwtTaEo43U
Thankyou Shoaib for giving us so much entertainment on and off the field, I feel sorry for you, we in Pakistan did not appreciate your contribution and always doubted your commitment. Please dont change, you are a true hero and have a great life.
Another departure of a great bowler ……..Best of luk to SHOIB AKHTAR and i hope he gifts the team with VICTORY on 2 April
Time is indeed cruel. Good luck Shoaib
The nation will surely miss a legendary bowler who has entertained the world cricket for more than a decade. Shoaib surely deserved the titles ‘Rawalpindi Express’, ‘Godspeed’ etc. for the wonders he has produced with his bowling – a real treat to watch! He is a player who may be blamed for his eccentric behaviors but his idiosyncratic personality for which he was a real misfit among the players and personnel found in Pakistan cricket always stood him out of the crowd. One more thing we as a nation should appreciate is his clean slate in the whole drama and perpetual episodes of match fixing that has followed Pakistan cricket for decades.
Best of Luck for your future endeavors! Hope you continue making your mark in whatever you do eventually making us all proud.
Very Painful, PCB mistreat him on many occasion. His career spoils due to Kamran Akmal. He drop more then 70 Catches and also slip fielders. He was victim of Kamran Akmal, Very Very sad that you are leaving. You are the best on the face of this Planet Earth. U always show patience and did best for Pakistan. You were victim of Inzamam and Bob Wolmer conspiracy and also Shahid Afridi and Also Yunis Khan. All are the culprits behind your failure.
I just speechless, try ur best for rest of the games. think and bowl to the right spot. God Bless you.
Probably knows that he does not have much time with IPL… unless he retires now. They will not take him if he is being hit around like this.
@Rao Hamid:
But can you disagree that first thing that comes to mind when you talk about him is all his fitness, discipline and dope issues than his bowling? Couldn’t he have served the team and country better if he avoided those?
He is more interested now in Bollywood and IPL. Just see….
@bunny: Very funny… a lion with out any teeth….(what is the use?)
the series of events although true dont do justice to the sensational bowling performances against south africa in sharjah (where he played the crucial role of breaking our embarrassing losing streak against the proteas), and his wow bowling against india numerous times.
the fierceness of this run up, the anticipation of a yorker and stumps being uprooted on every ball, his performance with the bat in 2003 world cup in south africa, these are all good things to remember him by.
kudos to shoaib, the wild card of pakistan cricket!
n not to forget, pakistan turned back to him after aamir and asif let the country down and he did come to our rescue no matter with what
May you have fantastic matches in world cup
shoaib is one of the most best bowlers in the world and now after announcing his retirement he will have to make these final matches as his lifetime acheivements and to bowl wholeheartidly for his team and for his country.best of luck to shoaib