The Rawalpindi Express is Running Again
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sarfraz-c88817 Nawaz to Mohammad Amir, there seems to be a never ending barrage of fast bowlers coming from
that part of the world.
Pakistan cricket has always had fast bowling sensations in their arsenal ever since becoming a permanent member of the International Cricket Council. After Sarfraz Nawaz, it was time for http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Khan to take over from him and when
Imran was about to bid farewell to the cricket world, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wasim-Akram-c96292 and Waqar Younis were there to take realms of the fast bowling department. The two W’s were most feared all over the cricket playing world, no matter where and when, these two masters of reverse
swing were able to get the job done on almost any pitch.
Since all good things must come to an end, and so it was time for Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram to say adios to the world of cricket, but not before another fast bowling sensation mesmerised the world of cricket; he was none other
than the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar.
Shoaib Akhtar, who made his Test debut in 1997 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Zimbabwe-c3045, has had an injury ridden career, but he conquered his problems with injuries and in 1999 rose to prominence
against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the final.
Nonetheless, after the 1999 Cricket World Cup, Shoaib Akhtar has never been the same bowler again, either due to injuries or due to personal attitude problems. Shoaib, the fastest bowler in the world has had his share controversies,
both on and off the field.
But the pacer has put all of that behind him and as he approaches the twilight of his career, he is looking to take a bow from cricket when he is at his best once again. There is a serious change in the attitude and approach of
this once out of control athlete.
The speedster, who was assumed to be out cold, has finally got one last chance to redeem his career in the ongoing series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 in UAE. Perhaps this was just what the fast bowler needed, as this series is definitely
proving to be a fortune turner for him. Akhtar perhaps is back to his best after 1999 and the charismatic athlete is proving his commitment to his squad by bowling far better than the young guns in the team.
Shoaib Akhtar’s strength and willingness to contribute to the team at a time when his counterparts are retiring is commendable. While his comeback has been relatively modest, his effort and dedication on the field has earned him
the respect of many.
If Shoaib wants to survive till next year’s World Cup and play all the matches of the tournament, then he needs to carefully select the matches he plays in.
Owing to spot fixing, the ace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif are out of the squad, thus the management has no option but to play Shoaib in every game, and with the way he is bowling who would not want him to play all the
games.
However, at the age of 35, the pacer from Rawalpindi cannot afford another injury, because an injury at this point will most likely end his hopes of making it to the World Cup squad.
At a time when bowlers from Akhtar’s era have cut down their work, with some even calling it a day, it is encouraging to see his ability to fight on and prove that he can still be a headache for any batsman in the world. He clearly
seems to be doing a good job in proving his point in the current series against South Africa. The Rawalpindi Express is finally back in full throttle and if things go as planned this express might create chaos for the rest of the world one last time in the
upcoming One-Day International World Cup.
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