Shoaib Akhtar increased his speed and perfected his reverse swing to crush India this time
Ajit Parker, Special Correspondent
January 11, 2005

VIEW SLIDESHOW>>

My friend Sayeed from Karachi says that this time India Pak matches are real and Shoaib has prepared for this tour of India for almost one year. He has perfected reverse swing and increased the pace. One more thing he has done and saved entirely for India within the fast pace reverse swing he is able to change the pace after the ball is released from the hand. Very few bowlers in the world have been able to perform the later, He can menacing this time.

According Sayeed, sources close to Inzy and Shoaib tells him that the pacer has promised Inzy this time that he will show the world what he can do.

HE is fast and furious to some, wild and reckless to the others. Shoaib Akhtar can be destructive with the ball, he can also prove self-destructive. When he is buzzing he can decimate the best of line-ups with his scorching pace and vicious swing. 

News about a growing rift with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, his leaving-the-field-act during the Rawalpindi Test, and the subsequent spat with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has meant that the paceman faces an uncertain phase. 

Though a PCB appointed Medical Commission did clear him of the charges of faking an injury during the Rawalpindi Test — x-ray revealed a stress fracture in the ribs — Akhtar is not quite in the clear. 

In a warning to the temperamental paceman, PCB has told Akhtar that his attitude in the coming days would be closely monitored and he would have to prove his fitness in the domestic competitions. A far cry from the time when Akhtar was the unquestioned supremo of the attack. 

But no matter what, Akhtar this time is determined to crush India and come right on top in world cricket.

With seven years of international cricket behind, the 29-year-old Akhtar plans to bowl in India in excess of 125 miles per hour with deceiving vicious reverse swing and speed variations after the delivery and batsman’s strike is committed. It will be difficult to hold Akhtar this time,

Sources close to Indian team specially captain Saurav Ganguli, say India is not worried – well till they find out that Shoaib Akhtar is not stoppable this time!