We were excited to hear the news that Shoaib Akhtar is potentially going to be touring England with Pakistan this summer. He last played international cricket in May 2009 and his last Test for Pakistan was way back in December 2007.
Since then he has only been in the news for comical reasons. When explaining his absence from the Pakistan World T20 squad for last year's tournament in England, the PCB advised that Shoaib could not be picked as he was being treated for genital warts. Then towards the end of the year there were reports that he was not considered for the tours to New Zealand and Australia because he had preferred to have liposuction.
But Shoaib is nothing if not resilient. He has bounced back on numerous occasions from a list of misdemeanours that would make Jesse James blush in admiration. These include ball tampering, court battles with the PCB and fisticuffs with his own team-mates.
It's easy to forget that Shoaib is actually a very good bowler. Fearsomely quick at his best, he has managed 178 wickets in 46 matches at a good average of 25.69 and an excellent strike rate of a wicket every 45.7 balls. As England fans, we certainly remember his brilliant bowling in the series immediately following the 2005 Ashes triumph, which saw England slip to a two tests to nil defeat.
Shoaib has already made more comebacks than Elvis or Sinatra, and like both Shoaib is definitely one for a song. Whether at the age of 34 he can rediscover past glories or perhaps even more unlikely stay fit is another thing, but it could be quite some summer if he makes the tour given that the excitable Shahid Afridi has already been named as Pakistan captain for the trip.
Comments