OTD: Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar became the first man to break the 100mph barrier during an ODI match against New Zealand at 100.04mph

Shoaib Akhtar is one of the finest fast bowlers in cricketing history. The former Pakistan speedster had ruthless speed and troubled a lot of class batters with his pace. Akhtar had a prolonged career for the Men in Green, irrespective of his injuries and bans that were alleged with him. Played 46 test matches for the country picking up 178 wickets and in 163 ODIs he had 247 wickets to his name. Alongside Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, he made a name for himself as well creating a trio with the other two legends. 

The now, 48-year-old bowler broke the record for the fastest ball in the history of the game nearly 22 years ago in 2002, in Lahore after he bowled a ball to New Zealand batter Craig McMillan at 100.04mph (161 kph) surpassing the previous long-held record of  Australia’s Jeff Thomson who delivered the ball at 99.8mph (160.6 kph). 

Unfortunately, the record remained unofficial as the International Cricket Council (ICC) refused to sanction it as it did not have a standard measuring tool. The incident occurred in the 3rd ODI of the series against the Kiwis. After putting up a target of 279, the Black Caps came to chase and Akhtar was testing the batters with some blistering deliveries. 

Later on he yet again delivered a similar kind of pace and this time it was made official by the supreme cricketing board as he did against England at Newlands Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa in the 2003 World Cup, as the victim of facing the delivery was English opener Nick Night. After him, two Australians, Brett Lee and Shaun Tait, have hit 100 mph, but neither has broken Akhtar’s record, which stands to this day.

In recent times bowlers have a lesser value in cricket as the game has turned their heads towards the batters with two new balls in white ball format the mode of reverse swing has diminished and batters get extra facilities in the modern method of the game. 

Also read: Stephen Fleming made his career-best score of 274 against Sri Lanka in 2003