Best of The Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar

[pakcricketfan]

Six of Shoaib Akhtar's best 4 for 71 v India, Asian Test Championship, Kolkata, 1999 Two balls that silenced 100,000 spectators. Indian fans weren't too familiar with Shoaib Akhtar but he introduced himself in a manner that left a packed Eden Gardens shell-shocked in a minute. He broke through Rahul Dravid's defences with a fiery inswinging yorker that uprooted leg stump but what followed was unfathomable to the crowd then. India's best batsman strolled to the crease to wild cheers and walked back to the pavilion to stunned silence. Facing Shoaib for the first time, Sachin Tendulkar was at the receiving end of another inswinging yorker, which he failed to keep out and which sent the middle stump cartwheeling towards the wicketkeeper. Shoaib had well and truly arrived. He bagged eight wickets in a match-winning performance. 3 for 55 v New Zealand, World Cup semi-final, Manchester, 1999 Shoaib lit up the World Cup semi-final in Manchester in front of a partisan crowd to give his favourite opposition their first taste of what would be a regular diet from him. He hit 90 mph consistently and, though he went for a few, he aimed correctly and just at the right time to prevent New Zealand from posting a challenging score in what turned out to be a one-sided knockout. Shoaib bowled three spells, and dislodged a batsman in each. Nathan Astle was his first victim. Stephen Fleming had just slashed him to third man when Shoaib returned from round the wicket to fire in a 92mph yorker that cleaned up leg stump. And, in his final spell, pace gave way to subtlety as Chris Harris was undone by a superbly disguised slower ball. New Zealand were kept to 241 for 7, and Pakistan chased that down with no difficulty. 6 for 11 v New Zealand, 1st Test, Lahore, 2002 New Zealand were steamrolled with both bat and ball in Lahore and Shoaib joined in the hammering. New Zealand were up against it after Pakistan had piled up 643 in the first innings, and Shoaib's spell shut them completely out of contention. His six victims were all either bowled or lbw as his fiery pace and toe-crushing lengths simply proved too hot to handle. In a spell of fifty deliveries, Shoaib bagged 6 for 11 and skittled out New Zealand for 73, towards a massive defeat. 5 for 21 v Australia, 1st Test, Colombo, 2002 Australia's pre-eminence had rarely been challenged in the late nineties and the early noughties, but one Shoaib spell threatened to cause a major upset against a young Pakistan team. Pakistan were looking to limit the damage after conceding a lead of 188 in the first innings but Shoaib sprung the Colombo Test back to life in a spell that made a nonsense of an unfavourable pitch with searing pace. Called on to bowl for a second spell after Australia had been well-placed at 71 for 1, Shoaib fired in a series of inswinging thunderbolts that crippled a powerful line-up. Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh and Steve Waugh were sent back in a matter of five deliveries and Adam Gilchrist was knocked off with a missile from round the wicket. Australia lost nine wickets for 53, of which Shoaib nipped out five, to collapse to 127 all out. The Pakistan batsmen, for their part, suffered a collapse of their own to lose by 41 runs. 5 for 25 v Australia, 3rd ODI, Brisbane, 2002 Shoaib starred in another significant win for Pakistan, this time helping them seal an ODI series in Australia. He had the cushion of a competitive score and derailed an Australian line-up that struggled to put up a challenge. Ponting fell to pace, Darren Lehmann was bowled round his legs, Michael Bevan was caught behind while the tail offered little resistance. Shoaib followed up three wickets in three overs with a couple more down the order to finish with 5 for 25 and catch Australia short by 91 runs. 6 for 30 v New Zealand, 2nd Test, Wellington, 2003 Shoaib's love affair with New Zealand's batting continued in Wellington, the hosts caving in to a devastating spell to set up a memorable victory for Pakistan. His pace acquired greater potency with the movement and swing in a windy Wellington and the New Zealand batsmen failed to measure up to that. Shoaib had picked up a five-for in the first innings but his batsmen had let that effort down, conceding a lead of 170. New Zealand looked good to put it beyond the visitors in the second innings before Shoaib struck. He removed a stodgy Mark Richardson and Scott Styris off successive deliveries, and combined with seamer Shabbir Ahmed to clean up the tail. New Zealand lost seven wickets for eight runs in 10.4 overs and Pakistan's batsmen stepped up in the second innings to chase down 274.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan...ry/506631.html

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What are your Top 5 performances by Shoaib Akhtar? Your favorite performances by him - that ONE spell that sent shivers down your spine - or that ONE ball which mesmerised you?

For me, it has to be the ball that he bowled to dismiss Stephen Fleming in the 99 WC Semi-final. I've been watching cricket for twelve years now and I don't think I've seen a better delivery than that. I simply CANNOT forget that ONE ball - may be I'm exaggerating a bit because it was the first time I saw someone bowl a ball like that.

Another one would be that ball to Gary Kirsten which left a long-lasting impression on his eye and his face.

His 5 wickets against Australia at Brisbane in 2002 is also one of my most favourite performances by a bowler. Then there was the Test series against India and the England Tour to Pakistan in 2005 as well as his 4 wickets against South Africa at Port Elizabeth.

[Wanton]

interessting, his best performances are till 2003.

[Hando]

What about PAK England '05 ?

[*sallu*]

[pakcricketfan]

Originally Posted by Hando What about PAK England 05 ?

Definitely one of my favourites. Didn't make it to Cricinfo's top 6 though.

[Ummer Khan]

His 5 for 21 vs AUS has to be the best spell that i had the privilege of watching but PAKISTAN`s batting collapse stole the show in that match and you know about SHARJAH test match of that particular series.......yes in my opinion it was better than the spell he produced against INDIA in 1999/00 at KOLKATA

[MRSN]

Originally Posted by *sallu*

yes that was awesome spell that involved one of the best yorker bowled in history of cricket but my favorite spell is this



superb spell on a flat track,Legend

[Savak]

Shoaib's greatest performance was his first 5 wicket haul in 1998 against the Proteas. Everyone was going on and and on and on about the big threat that Waqar would be against the SA batting line up and i remember the likes of Ackerman, Kallis making full efforts to play Waqar out (that was the first series in which the wear and tear of years, and years of fast bowling told on Waqar's body and how much he had slowed down).

Then came Shoaib and just shocked the South Africans with his sheer pace (155 km/hr plus) going through the likes of Kallis, Hudson, Boucher, Klusenar (at his peak).

I would rate this even better than the 1999 spells. By 1999 i knew this guy was very quick and totally capable of destruction with the ball in his hand.

[*sallu*]

Ponting, Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Adam Gichrist and Shane Warne

getting 5 legends out in the space of 20 minutes

[pakcricketfan]

Originally Posted by *sallu*

That is one performance I regret not watching live.

[Afridi_Fan]

That delivery which made Tony Greg scream like a school girl in the commentary box was a real delight.

[pakcricketfan]

Originally Posted by Afridi_Fan That delivery which made Tony Greg scream like a school girl in the commentary box was a real delight.

"Oh well bowled ... beautifully bowled ... wonderfully bowled ... brilliant bowling ... that is absolutely unreal ... he has risen to the occasion and has bowled a magnificent yorker and the leg stump is out of the ground!"

[hussnainn]