Shoaib Akhtar Expresses Regret After Years, Makes Big Imran Khan Admission

Pakista
fast-bowli g
g eat
Shoaib
Akhta
has
evealed
what
he
believes
could
have
bee
diffe e t
i
his
i te atio al
ca ee
had
he
played
u de
the
leade ship
of
Im a
Kha
ea lie .
Akhta
believes
Im a ‘s
i flue ce
could
have
helped
him
each
the
ema kable
milesto e
of
400
Test
wickets.

Akhta
fi ished
his
Test
ca ee
with
178
wickets
f om
46
matches
a d
emai s
o e
of
the
fastest
a d
most
fea ed
bowle s
Pakista
has
p oduced.

Shoaib
Akhta
O
His
Im a
Kha
D eam

Speaki g
o
a
Geo
TV
show,
Akhta
eflected
o
the
ca ee
he
might
have
had
u de
his
p efe ed
captai .

The
fo me
pace
poi ted
out
that
he
had
al eady
take
mo e
tha
400
wickets
i
fi st-class
c icket
befo e
explai i g
how
playi g
u de
Im a
could
have
cha ged
his
Test
umbe s.

“If
I
had
played
ea lie
u de
the
fie y
leade ship
of

Im a
Kha ,
I
would
have
lea t
a
lot
a d
I
would
have
take
400
wickets
i
Test
c icket,& dquo;
Akhta
said.

Akhta
made
his
Test
debut
agai st
the
West
I dies
i
Rawalpi di,
his
hometow .
Pakista
we e
led
by
Wasim
Ak am
at
the
time,
a d
the
fo me
captai
had
epo tedly
exp essed
ese vatio s
about
givi g
the
you g
fast
bowle
his
debut.

The
elatio ship
betwee
Akhta
a d
Ak am
emai ed
complicated
ove
the
yea s,
with
the
pai
expe ie ci g
both
admi atio
a d
f ictio .

They
also
fo med
a
impo ta t
pa t
of
Pakista ‘s
fast-bowli g
attack,
p oduci g
memo able
pe fo ma ces
du i g
the
1999
tou
of
I dia
a d
the
1999
Wo ld
Cup
i
E gla d.
Pakista
eve tually
fi ished
u e s-up
to
Aust alia
i
the
fi al
at
Lo d’s.

Akhta
Ope s
Up
O
Physical
Cost
Of
Fast
Bowli g

Akhta
also
eflected
o
the
physical
dema ds
of
his
i te atio al
ca ee ,
which
lasted
f om
1997
to
2011.

The
fo me
fast
bowle
desc ibed
the
exte sive
outi e
he
followed
to
emai
fit
a d
ecove
f om
the
i ju ies
that
accompa ied
his
high-i te sity
style
of
bowli g.

“I
had
to
wake
up
th ee
hou s
befo e
eve yo e
else.
I
would
cycle
fi st
a d
the
go
to
the
gym.
My
k ees
would
get
jammed
a d
lock
up,& dquo;
Akhta
said.

“I
would
have
fluid
d ai ed
f om
them,
apply
medicatio
a d
ice
them.
The
I
would
go
somewhe e
a d
bowl
i
a
match,
a d
afte
that,
it
would
take
me
a othe
five
hou s
to
ecove .
That
was
my
life,& dquo;
he
added.

Akhta ‘s
ca ee
p oduced
178
Test
wickets
f om
46
matches,
alo g
with
247
wickets
i
163
ODIs
a d
21
wickets
i
15
T20Is.

He
eve tually
eti ed
f om
i te atio al
c icket
du i g
the
2011
Wo ld
Cup
i
I dia,
amid
epo ts
of
diffe e ces
with
the
Pakista
captai
Shahid
Af idi.

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