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5 Fastest Deliveries Bowled By Shoaib Akhtar In International Cricket

Shoaib Akhtar's five fastest deliveries (X.com)Shoaib Akhtar's five fastest deliveries (X.com)

Ex-Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar, popularly known as the "Rawalpindi Express," is one of the most feared fast bowlers to ever exist in cricket history. 

His lethal raw pace broke all speedometer records over the last couple of decades and his extraordinary legacy still remains unmatched.

Notably, Akhtar holds the record for the fastest delivery ever bowled in cricket, and throughout his career, he consistently pushed the limits of speed.

On that note, let's recall five of the fastest deliveries ever bowled by Shoaib Akhtar in his successful international career.

5. 154.3 km/h vs Australia in 1999

Shoaib Akhtar vs AUS (X.com)Shoaib Akhtar vs AUS (X.com)

Shoaib Akhtar's 154.3 km/h delivery against Australia in the 1999 Hobart Test is a perfect example of his extraordinary pace, which made him one of the most feared fast bowlers in the history of cricket. 

Facing Australia, a team that has historically had one of the strongest batting lineups, Shoaib Akhtar knew that his speed would be a crucial weapon. During his spell, Akhtar consistently clocked high speeds, and the 154.3 km/h delivery was one of the standout moments.

4. 155.2 km/h Vs Holland in 2003

Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 World Cup (X.com)Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 World Cup (X.com)

The 2003 ODI World Cup was owned by Shoaib Akhtar as he delivered one of the finest spells of his cricket career. After drilling England, The Rawalpindi express bowled a fiery 155.2 km/h delivery to Holland at the Paarl stadium in South Africa. 

The delivery was a short-pitched ball that zipped off the pitch with incredible speed, leaving the batter with very little time to react. While this particular delivery was not among his fastest ever, it was still significantly faster, especially from associate teams like the Netherlands.

3. 158.4 km/h Vs England in 2003

Shoaib Akhtar vs ENG (X.com)Shoaib Akhtar vs ENG (X.com)

Shoaib Akhtar's third fastest delivery comes from that single over he bowled to Nick Knight in the 2003 World Cup game. He clocked a 158.4 km/h delivery for the third ball off the over. Knight was clearly struggling to adjust to Akhtar's pace and the consistency left him baffled and intimidated at the same time. 

However, Akhtar was in no mood to relent. He only increased his speed to finally finish with a record-setting delivery on the final ball of the over. This over, particularly, established Akhtar as one of the most lethal and fastest bowlers in cricket history.


2. 159.5 km/h Vs England in 2003

Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 vs England (X.com)Shoaib Akhtar in 2003 vs England (X.com)

Shoaib Akhtar was miffed by ICC taking away his 161.0 km/h record due to a faulty speedometer at Lahore and had vowed to somehow shatter record books prior to the 2003 World Cup match against England. 

He was just bowling the second over of his spell when he drilled Nick Knight with multiple fireballs. Before he set the world record, Akhtar bowled a 159.5 km/h delivery to Knight, which was the second-fastest delivery of his international career. To Knight's credit, he survived Shoaib Akhtar's wild over with courageous defence.

1. 161.3 km/h vs England in 2003

Shoaib Akhar's fastest ball record (X.com)Shoaib Akhar's fastest ball record (X.com)

After his 161.0 km/h delivery vs New Zealand was overlooked by ICC, Shoaib Akhtar raised the bar to bowl the fastest delivery in the history of cricket. It came during the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup match against England. 

Akhtar bowled a majestic over to England's Nick Knight, where his average was around 158 km/h. For the final ball, Akhtar clocked in at 161.3 km/h, thus setting a world record. 

This moment cemented Akhtar's legacy as the fastest bowler ever, and the record remains unbeaten even after two decades.