Imagine a bowler running in those extra yards all the way from the boundary, with fire in his eyes and coming at you at a speed of nearly 100 miles. Forget about facing him, only the thoughts of it would bring shivers down your spine. Such was the impact of this super quick speedster called 'Shoaib Akhtar' on the psyche of batsmen. Many legends of the previous generation have been at its receiving end. Be it Brian Lara, be it Sachin Tendulkar, be it Ricky Ponting or be it Sourav Ganguly. You name him and Shoaib had given that batsman a taste of his medicine. He was an amalgamation of raw pace, lethal bouncers and nightmares. There was hardly anyone who got away with it.

Though his numbers don't do justice to his talent, Shoaib when at his best was an absolute delight to watch. You could sit all day long in awe of his breathtaking spells and think of the way he threatened batsmen with his deadly pace and bounce. With legends like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in the same team, it was never going to be easy for someone like Shoaib Akhtar to break into that Pakistan side. He could have made his debut much earlier but due to few injuries and a rather brash attitude his debut was delayed. Yes, controversies did play a major role in shaping his career but that is how he was. Straight to the face, upfront and more than a thinking cricketer, he was an impulsive one.

From getting banned for the use of performance enhancing drugs, being accused of ball tampering, to having rifts with his team mates and PCB, he had done it all. The guts to accept all that and face its consequences was the reason why he was such a courageous heart. He never compromised on his pace in order to have an elongated career or for the matter of fact longevity. At times he played matches even though he wasn't fully fit; on pain killers and injections. But these issues never stopped him from sprinting in with those protruding eyes and have a go at the best in the business. That memorable spell at Eden Gardens during Asian Test Championship when close to 65000 fans were up on their feet chanting Sachin's name, it needed only an in-swinging toe-crushing yorker by Akhtar to silence the crowd. Not to forget, only on the previous ball, Shoaib had cleaned up 'The Wall'.

Another such unforgettable battle between Akhtar and Sachin was during the World Cup of 2003 at Centurion, South Africa. The Master was at his best, playing his elegant cover-drives and flashy upper cuts against Akhtar but the speedster roared back with a ripper of a bouncer to dismiss Sachin on a score of 98. Towards the end of his career Shoaib had shortened his run-up but even then he was able to generate the pace he was once known for. He was picked by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural edition of IPL and his magical spell of 4 for 11 against Delhi Daredevils was one of the bright spots for KKR that season.

As a kid an innocent Shoaib chased airplanes that flew over his house and spreading his arms like the wings of an eagle was one of his charming celebrations. By the end of the 20th century, the 'Rawalpindi Express' had redefined the term of a 'fast bowler'.

By Nikhil Jadhav