Betfair | Shoaib will probably never be seen in a Pakistan shirt again

Shoaib will probably never be seen in a Pakistan shirt again - and that's a tragedy for cricket

Andrew Hughes on Akhtar, the renegade who was banned from the team for five years earlier this week

Shoaib Akhtar has repeatedly denied rumours of an impending Bollywood career but if his current five-year ban can't be overturned, the lure of the silver screen may prove irresistible.

It isn't hard to envisage a three-hour epic blockbuster with Shoaib playing himself; lank fringe and jet-black shades hiding those permanently tired eyes. It would be quite a spectacle, a series of dramatic denouements in which our hero finds himself apparently down and out, each disaster resolved by a last minute reprieve and much singing and dancing on the streets of Rawalpindi.

There are those who argue that a five-year ban for criticising the award of central contracts was harsh. But this latest ban has to be considered with the full charge sheet in front of you. In an 11-year Test career, Shoaib has gathered an impressive collection of disciplinary offences. He has been banned for ball tampering, throwing, taking steroids, swearing at tail enders, abusing spectators and hitting team mates. He has pulled out of matches due to injury, only to resurface hours later in the discos of South Africa or jet skiing on Lake Wakatipu. And he has represented a standing outrage to those who rail against Western values with his persistent partying, drinking and womanising.

But Shoaib has never made any pretence about who he was. As a young man, he was exactly the same, a reckless lover of fast living, regularly getting into fights, usually over women. How many other cricketers have nine-inch knife scars on their chest? His motor mouth was always getting him into trouble and nothing has changed. Indeed it seems he is incapable of sitting in front of a microphone without incriminating himself or insulting others. Cricket has simply catapulted him to national prominence but it has not changed him in the slightest.

Shoaib's tale isn't a human tragedy, so much as a cricketing one. With more respect for the game and his own talent, he could have been the greatest fast-bowler of all time. No other modern bowler provides such a thrilling spectacle. He steams in from 30 yards in a dead straight line, hair flopping, his right arm sweeping behind him as he nears the wicket and prepared to unleash another whiplash delivery. The only bowler of the modern era capable of matching the great Jeff Thompson for pace, he has twice been clocked at over 100 mph and his strike rate of 45.7 in Tests and 25.9 in limited overs matches illustrates how devastating he can be

And yet, in those 11 years, he has appeared in just 46 Tests, less than half of the total that Pakistan have played in that time. Compared to his immediate predecessors, he took on far less of the workload than Wasim Akram and didn't make as much difference to his side's chances of winning as Waqar Younus. If Wasim was a hard working and versatile 4x4, Waqar a purpose-built Formula One car then Shoaib has been an impractical and temperamental sports car, the ultimate luxury item.

If it is finally up for the Rawalpindi Express, that would at least enable some of the younger bowlers a chance. The name on everyone's lips currently is 24-year-old Sohail Khan, a product of the Rashid Latif Academy who broke records and stumps aplenty in his debut domestic season, finishing with 91 wickets at an average of 18.72. Sohail and another young fast bowler, Wahab Riaz have been included in the squad for the forthcoming one day series with Bangladesh.

If you're thinking of siding with the visitors at [9.2] to win the first match or even [8.0] to win the series, you should bear in mind that in 18 matches between these two sides, Bangladesh have won just once, during the 1999 World Cup. Alternatively, there are always plenty of in-running opportunities in these fast moving games and if you intend to play that market on Betfair, the good news is that you won't have to get up too early. The match in Lahore is a day nighter and starts at 10:00 am on Tuesday.

6 April 2008 / About Andrew Hughes

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Comments (3)

shoaib akhtar is the hero of Pakistani team must be play for Pakistan if just provide a one chance more.

M Ahsan Cheema | 17 April 2008

Ofcouse Shoaib was and is the best speedster in the cricket history,but was he serious about the game?Everyone has this big Q in his mind.Cricketer is the national hero, he is the role model for upcoming generations.He represents the nation,moreover the cricket...a game which makes you a sportsman, which makes you taste the modes of life.To me Whether it is Rawalpindi Xpress, Little master or any other big master,rules are for all.

noor | 22 April 2008

No second chances at all,because due to it the upcoming players will make more big mistakes.

noor | 22 April 2008