Ex-Pak pacer Mohammad Sami claims he bowled faster than Akhtar: 'They were not counted'
Shoaib Akhtar, on the other hand, recorded his fastest delivery during a game against New Zealand in 2002 when he bowled at speed of 161.3 kmph.
- SportFit
- 2 min read
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Pakistan has produced some of the best fast bowlers the game has ever seen, including the renowned pair of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami. When they bowled, the entire globe would come to a halt to watch them. Both Akhtar and Sami were fast and capable of penetrating any batting lineup on the planet. Akhtar still holds the record for bowling the fastest delivery in international cricket at 160 kmph.
However, Sami has now claimed that he bowled two deliveries that were faster than 160 kmph but were never counted. Sami stated that he bowled at 162 and 164 kilometres per hour in a game, but that those deliveries were not counted because the speed measurement device was apparently broken. The former Pakistan pacer further said that bowlers who have breached the 160 kmph mark have only done it once or twice in their career.
Sami bowled his fastest delivery in international cricket at 156.4 kmph, a feat he achieved during a game against Zimbabwe in 2003. Akhtar, on the other hand, recorded his fastest delivery during a game against New Zealand in 2002 when he bowled at speed of 161.3 kmph. Australia's Brett Lee and Shaun Tait have also breached the 160 kmph mark but their deliveries were not recorded either.
"There was a match where I bowled two deliveries at speeds of 162 kph and 164 kph. But I was told that the bowling machine was not working, so they were not counted. Even if you look at bowling history overall, the bowlers who have crossed the 160 kph-limited have done it only once or twice. It's not like they kept doing it continuously," Sami told paktv.tv.
Sami & Akhtar's career
Sami represented the Pakistan national cricket team from 2001 to 2016. He played 36 Tests and 87 One-Day Internationals for his country. Sami picked 85 wickets in the longest format, and 121 in the 50-over game. The 41-year-old has also played in various T20 leagues across the world. Akhtar, on the other hand, made his debut for Pakistan in 1997 and played until 2011. The Rawalpindi Express played 46 Tests, 163 ODIs, and 15 T20Is for his country taking 178, 247, and 19 wickets, respectively.