The Hindu : Shoaib Akhtar poised to speed into record books

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 29, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

Shoaib Akhtar poised to speed into record books

Lahore April 28. Pakistan's high-speed pacer Shoaib Akhtar could be heading for the record books after apparently breaking the 100 miles per hour barrier bowling against New Zealand here on Saturday.

Akhtar delivered a 161 kilometres (100.04 miles) per hour thunderbolt during the third and final one-day international, which if confirmed would rank him as the world's fastest bowler.

``I am delighted to bowl that fast and the speed machine is authentic and it should be acknowledged throughout the world,'' Shoaib Akhtar, 26, told AFP.

Akhtar, nicknamed the Rawalpindi Express after the rail service to his hometown in Pakistan's Punjab province, fired his 161-kph delivery at New Zealand's Craig McMillan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has already authenticated the delivery although there has been some doubtscast over the accuracy of the speed gun.

Following are some of Akhtar's recently recorded high-speed deliveries (read under speed [kph], against, date): 161 NZ April 4, 2002; 160 NZ April 4, 2002; 159.7 SRI April 12, 2000; 157.2 AUS June 9, 2001; 156 RSA March 29, 2000. — AFP

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