A nice bit of nasty-Shoaib Ahktar
I must admit, as many have seen I have a very dim view of current day players aside from the very exceptional ones.I get very annoyed living in Australia when youngsters caught up in the media frenzy over the ex quick Brett Lee.They want to argue with me about him being the scariest quick that the game has ever seen.My brow furrows and my skin rankles at this and I try not to respond by questioning their ability to know about the game heritage. For which is laden with nasty quicks.That young Lee has no compare with in any sense in regards to nastiness,unless on the occasion when he accidently on purpose bowled a beam ball..........
Though Australia being a multicultural country I often get Pakistani kids offering up the name of the 'Rawalpindi Express' Now I must admit I have no respect for this bowler due to the fact that he never fully lived out his God given ability. Through his lack of application and his other drawbacks.
Though I can't disregard his place as one hell of a scary bowler...........
He made me stand up and take notice of him in the 2002 test against Australia held in Colombo.In this test his extreme pace and swing both traditional and reverse had me baying for the batsmens blood.For he had them all hoping around and fearing for their lives.You could just see it in their eyes as they faced up to him.This Aussie batting line up in truth was one of the best line ups that's been seen in the history of the game.Names such as the Wugh's,Langer,Hayden,Ponting,Martyn and Gilly at 7.So you can see their strength! Though Ahktar treated them as though they were a 'Pindi' club line up.In the second inning he ran through them like a run away freight train.Dismissing Ponting for 7,then both Waugh's for ducks with truly brutal deliveries.Though his dismissal of Adam Gilchrist was truly a sight to behold.A truly brutal inswinging yorker that made Gilly look about as out of depth as he was seen ever in his career.That was so symbolised by his batting dominance against any and all bowlers
Just the sight of the stumps flying out everywhere it was truly a sight to behold!
Though if this was in truth one of his career highlights I love to recollect on another moment to underline his lovely nastiness.......
It's the 2003 test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore (I so miss seeing cricket from Pakistan!) Again Ahktar is at his brutal best against a very fine South African team.He was indeed a match winner returning figures of 98/6.Though a moment in the game is what I like to look back on.It was the South African first innings with their number 3 in Gary Kirsten well and truly set on 53.Looking in truth so at ease.
So enter Mr Ahktar bowling from around the wicket............
He throughout the game had shown such pace and fire, but this delivery was one to warm the sadistic cockles on my heart.He angled a brute of a delivery short of a length that was like a cobras venom such was its lethalness.Kirsten caught out by its speed and malice had no defence against it.Even wearing a helmut, such was it's brutality. It pierced the helmut and left Kirsten prostate on the ground blood pouring out of a wound near his cheek....
The only thing that upset me was Ahktar going to aide Kirsten,whereas bowlers of real cold blooded killer nastiness such as Jeff Thomson would have just sent a message to the change rooms to bring a shovel out with the medico's to bury him!
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