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Shoaib Akhtar (born 13 August, 1975 in Rawalpindi, Punjab)
is a Pakistani cricket player. He is known for his ability to bowl at great speeds that even the best batsmen find difficult to handle. He can also swing the ball at high speeds, whether it be conventional (outswing or inswing) or reverse swing. He is a genuine match winner for the Pakistani cricket team and brings a lot of excitement into the game whenever he plays. He is sometimes referred to as the "Rawalpindi Express" after his home town.
He is one of the world's fastest bowlers, and, as of early 2004, he has bowled the fastest recorded ball in Test cricket. His usual speed in One-day International cricket is about 95 mph (153 km/h), but he has also bowled over 100 mph (160 km/h) twice in One dayers, with his fastest recorded delivery being clocked at 161.4 km/h.
During the 2004-05 season, in which Akhtar played a test series against Australia. Akhtar had cut down on his pace and concentrate on line and length, for that series only. This suceeded to bring him cheap Australian wickets.
Shoaib and Australian fast bowler Brett Lee often divide opinion on who is the best genuine pace bowler in world cricket; additionally, both have fierce competition in the shape of England's Steve Harmison and New Zealand's Shane Bond.
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