Shoaib Akhtar Net Worth- Meet the legendary fast bowler or Rawalpindi Express as many know him

Shoaib Akhtar is a former professional cricketer and commentator from Pakistan, popular as Rawalpindi Express for his fast-bowling style. The player has always been surrounded by controversies in his career and is still known for his bold comments on different teams and cricketers. Despite all the controversies and rumors regarding his game or team spirit, Akhtar has made himself a legend when it comes to bowling in cricket. And even after many years of his retirement, no one else has been able to break his bowling speed record.

Shoaib Akhtar Net Worth

Shoaib Akhtar’s Personal Biography

Shoaib Akhtar was born on 13 August 1975 in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan to Hameeda Awan and Mohammad Akhtar. His father worked as a night watchman at a petrol station while his mother was a homemaker. Growing up, Akhtar’s family was very poor with his father working very hard to make ends meet. He has four siblings- three elder brothers and one younger sister. Akhtar studied at the Asghar Mall College and was a bright student but he disrupted his studies to make a career in cricket and ended up becoming a legend in the sport.

In 2014, a 38-year-old Akhtar got married to 21-year-old Rubab Khan. The couple has two sons together, born in 2016 and 2019.

Early Professional Career

Shoaib Akhtar started his List A career in 1993 after facing some significant challenges. His first-class career began in 1994 when the then chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Majid Khan, caught his expressive performance in the Pakistan A team. As a result, he was selected as a member of the test team in a match against West Indies in 1997. Cricket Quiz Questions and Answers

Akhtar made his debut in the second test match against West Indies in 1998 in Rawalpindi, which was also his home ground. The next year, he played for the national team in a test match against Australia. Although he was the main attacking force of the Pakistani bowling team which was in very bad shape, Akhtar was only able to collect 18 wickets after 8 test matches.

Beginning of Fame & Bowling Record

Akhtar’s career began to take a turn in 1999 when he gave an amazing performance during a pre-World Cup series against India. His impressive game continued in the Cricket World Cup as well in which Pakistan ended up being the runner-up, losing to Australia in the finals. Akhtar showed his breakthrough performance the same year in the debut Asian Test championship match against India. He took 8 wickets including the consecutive wickets of the top Indian batsmen Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar. see, Richest Cricketers in the world

The next few years again went slow for Akhtar. He wasn’t quite able to leave a good impression with his game against Australia in 2002 and his further performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup also seemed poor. As a result, Shoaib was dropped from the national team but had to be brought back since there was not much alternative available. In 2005, Akhtar again started to gain popularity and began establishing his repute as a fast bowler. His reputation came with the test and ODI match series against England held in Pakistan. The home team won both series and Shoaib Akhtar played an important role in the tournament.

Akhtar is considered one of the fastest bowlers in the history of international cricket with his fastest bowl to date at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph). He is also known as one of only two bowlers who have bowled over a speed of 100 mph in the history of the sport. The other bowler to have bowled over 100 mph speed is Shaun Tait (100.1mph).

Controversies surrounding Shoaib Akhtar

Throughout his career, Shoaib Akhtar has found himself surrounded with many controversies. In 2003, he was found tampering with the ball during a triangular series and was banned for that. The same year, Shoaib got himself banned for one test match and two ODIs for abusing South African spin bowler Paul Adams. His struggle with injuries in 2004 during a home series against India raised some serious questions about his commitment to the team. The very next year, Akhtar was sent back from the Australia tour due to an injury but there were already rumors of indiscipline, his attitude and behavior, and lack of commitment. Highest Wicket Taker in Test Cricket

In 2006, Akhtar was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board after getting tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.  for violating the players’ code of conduct, Akhtar  was banned for five years in 2008. his most recent controversial statement came in 2023 when he said that the Pakistan cricket team’s current captain Babar Azam is not a brand given that he “lacks character and cannot speak good English”.

Career Overview

Check out a basic overview of Shoaib Akhtar’s international cricket career:

Shoaib Akhtar on Television Shows

Here are some of the television shows in which Akhtar has appeared as a guest, host, or judge:

• Mazaak Mazaak Mein (2016)
• Geo Khelo Pakistan (2017)
• The After Moon Show (2018)
• Tonite with HSY (2018)
• YouTube Rewind 2019 (2019)
• The Shoaib Akhtar Show (2023)

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Shoaib Akhtar on Social Media

*Akhtar’s Instagram account is handled by his business manager Taha Sadaqat.

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