Shoaib Akhtar's autobiography to reveal the inside story

An autobiography of Pakistani stump-wrecker Shoaib Akhtar, who holds the record for the fastest delivery in cricket ever clocking 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph), will offer revealing insights into the game, its intricacies and highs and lows - inside the dressing room and outside.

The book, unveiled by HarperCollins-India on the fast bowler's birthday Saturday, will arrive in the market in September.

Akhtar, nicknamed 'Rawalpindi Express', took time off from his schedule to co-author the book with Anshu Dogra, a researcher, journalist and writer, said a spokesperson for HarperCollins-India.

The autobiography puts Akhtar's career in the context of history of cricket in Pakistan and the world, the unending tussle between bowlers and batsmen, institutions that control the game - including the Pakistan Cricket Board - and the battles of wits and clout on the pitch, the spokesperson said.

Akhtar, born Aug 13, 1975, in Rawalpindi, is a right hand fast bowler, who has been in the eye of several controversies during his career and has often been accused of being a "poor team player".

In 2005, he was sent home during the Test series in Australia for "unprofessional attitude".

A year later, he was snared in a drug scandal after testing positive for stimulants. Akhtar was banned in September 2007 for picking up a fight with teammate Mohammed Asif, and in the following year he was banned for five years for criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board.

In October 2008, the Lahore High Court suspended the ban. Akhtar retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup. His impressive run began in the 1990s.

--Indo-Asian News Service


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