Pakistani Cricket - Rawalpindi Express, an occupational hazard
It is mind numbing to see the amount of chances that can be given to a particular player, and Shoaib Akhtar could truly count as one of those rare breed of players who has not spent a year without another scandal, indiscipline issue, or a misadventure popping up at the behest of the cricket board. Shoaib Akhtar was all set to join international cricket in 1996, when due to discipline issue’s he had to wait another year to formally join international cricket.
Soon after his debut he became a star for Pakistan cricket following his match winning performances against world class sides, and he developed himself as one of the fastest and most lethal bowlers of the world. However his creativity and maturity as a bowler was sometimes underrated. Despite having a perfect start to his cricketing career, his injury plagued-career was marred by indiscipline and spats with his teammates and the cricket board.
His first ban came in 2002 for throwing a bottle at crowds in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045 for one ODI. Ball tampering allegations followed soon after, and thus began a career of one of the most in-disciplined player of Pakistan cricket. He was more interested in the glam and appeal of the new life he had, and did not focus much on his sporting career. As a result his career started to suffer.
After the poor performance in the 2003 world cup, he was one of those players who were axed by the PCB and the chairman apparently told him to “clean up” his act or be excluded from the National team forever.
In the same year he was involved in a ball tampering controversy that led to his ban along with the charges. He was soon after banned for one test match and two one day international matches for abusing the South African spinner, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Paul-Adams-c80978.
He started to develop injuries in 2004, which raised some serious questions about his commitment to the team, while his relationship with the coach and the captain further worsened. Following injury in 2004, he then made a comeback again for the Pakistan side in December that year.
He was sent back from his tour to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in 2005 with a hamstring injury in the midst of rumours of indiscipline. He was subsequently fined by the Pakistan cricket board for violating a late night curfew. The rest of his career to follow was plagued with injuries until he was banned for a period of two years after testing positive to performance-enhancing drugs.
On 1 November 2006, Pakistan Cricket Board slapped a two year suspension from International cricket on Shoaib Akhtar. In 2007 before the ICC world Twenty20 World Cup, Shoaib was kicked out of the team for hitting Mohammad Asif with a bat.
He has been banned on numerous occasions, sent back from tours, fined and even dropped out of the team for contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Now Mr http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 and his selection committee finally decided that this 35-year-old tub of lard who cannot even walk properly let alone bowl, will be sent to England and has been named for the 16-men squad to play ODI’s against the Englishmen.
It is sometimes amazing to the extent the PCB is prepared to bend over backwards to make exceptions for a player who has been a cause of embarrassment for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 cricket, and has had an injury-prone career. The Rawalpindi Express cannot bowl as fast he did previously, neither can he run, or spend more than an hour on the field for he starts to pant heavily after a short run. He is no longer a wicket-taker or a match winner. He is simply dead weight to the Pakistani cricket team who have found an absolutely brilliant bowling attack and no longer require the disservices of the occupational hazard that is commonly known as Shoaib Akhtar.
Tags: