Shoaib Akhtar the Fastest bowler in the history of cricket

 I am a Pakistani and I am proud to say that Shoaib Akhtar has the world record of bowling the fastest delivery in international cricket. The delivery that he bowled against England in a pool match in 2003 World Cup at 161.3 Kilometers per hour was the fastest ball ever delivered in history of International cricket. Shoaib Akhtar was even quicker than Jeff Thomson and Brett Lee of Australia as can be judged by the comments of a Bangladeshi cricketer Alok Kapali who said that Shoaib Akhtar is so quick we use to fear he would kill one of our batsmen with his pace and we could hardly see any of his deliveries.

Shoaib Akhtar immediately made an impact after his debut in 1997 against West Indies when he bowled Pakistan to a memorable victory at Durban in the second test match against South Africa which also happened to be Pakistan's first test victory against South Africa. Shoaib Akhtar took five wickets in the first innings of that test match which was instrumental in Pakistan winning that test match held at Durban in 1998 against South Africa. 

The tournament which instantly made Shoaib Akhtar famous was the Asian test championship match in 1999 in Kolkata when Shoaib Akhtar clean bowled Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar of consecutive deliveries. Those deliveries of Shoaib Akhtar which he clean bowled Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar was regarded as the balls of the Twentieth Century as those bowls were bowled with extreme pace with huge late reverse swing. Pakistan not only went onto win that test match against India but also went onto win the test championship by defeating Sri Lanka at the Final at Dhaka in 1999.

Shoaib Akhtar played a vital role in Pakistan reaching the finals of the 1999 world cup which was held in England. In that World Cup Shoaib Akhtar not only bowled the ball at extremely high speeds but also swung the ball a great deal as English conditions are tailor made for swing making Shoaib Akhtar a lethal bowler. 

Shoaib Akhtar missed a lot of international cricket because of injuries as who knows he might have taken as many wickets as Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis if he had played more cricket. After playing the 2011 World Cup in India and Sri lanka and helping Pakistan reach the semi finals of that World Cup Shoaib Akhtar retired from all forms of international cricket. Shoaib Akhtar will always be remembered not only in Pakistani cricket but in international cricket history as the fastest bowler ever to have played cricket.