Book & Author
Shoaib Akhtar: Shoaib Akhtar — Controversially Yours
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
“My murshid [Sufi saint] said I would be a star—and I was.” - Shoaib Akhtar
The ICC World Cup 2023 has been won for the sixth time by the Australians who exhibited sheer champion’s spirit. Indians — despite having the advantages of home grounds and crowds, and employing negative tactics of manipulation of pitches and rules — in the end proved to be no match to the Australians’ superior cricketing acumen.
Likewise, Shoaib Akhtar aka Rawalpindi Express’s world-class talent proved to be no match to the mediocrity of the PCB officials who tried to end his career prematurely. In Shoib Akhtar — Controversially Yours, the Rawalpindi Express chronicles his trials and tribulations — from growing up in poverty to emerging on the world stage as the fastest bowler of the cricketing world.
Shoaib Akhtar narrates his life story in sixteen chapters: 1. Growing Pains, 2. Shoaib Bhai Haazir Hai! 3. Trial by Fire, 4. A Few Hiccups on the Road to Glory , 5. A Star Is Born: The Rawalpindi Express, 6. Highs and Lows, 7. The 100-MPH Club, 8. A Bowler's Dilemma, 9. Down But Not Out, 10. When the Going Gets Tough, 11. I'm Still Standing, 12. Soaring High on Broken Wings, 13. The King and I, 14. The Dressing Room, 15. Where Do We Go from Here? and 16. Being Shoaib.
Shoiab Akhtar, world’s fastest bowler, in his autobiography highlights the inherent flaws of governance in Pakistan — from sports to various institutions of the country viz a viz thes “Akbar e Azam” syndrome — where members of the corrupt ruling elite assume power of institutions and without following any set of rules destroy the institutions, and are never held responsible and accountable for mismanagement and mega corruption. Shoiab Akhtar’s talent and career have been neglected and shortened due to the arrogance of ignorance of the clueless cricket administrators.
The author starts the book by recalling his wishes for the 2011 World Cup: “I would like to have retired from international cricket shouting out for the world to hear, 'We won the 2011 World Cup!' But that was not to be. I wanted to bowl in the very last match that Pakistan played in the tournament, hopefully the finals, but that too was not to be. I wanted to retire with dignity, having played cricket for nearly two decades for my country. Mercifully, that wish of mine was fulfilled. No Pakistani cricketer before me had been granted this grace. Yes, that's right, I am the first person in the history of Pakistan cricket who hasn't been pushed out or forced to languish while waiting for a recall.”
The author acknowledging the role of his friend Sudesh for bringing the idea of book into reality, observes: “For Sudesh Rajput— Sharing so much of myself in this book was not my idea; it required a lot of coaxing from Sudesh, my partner in times of trouble—my dearest friend, who has stoically stood by me during some of the worst times I have had to face…This book is a culmination of your persistence…Thank you, Sudesh, for conceiving the idea for this book… Allah has always sent people to help me, so you have entered my life with his blessings. You are very special.”
Recalling his early years of growing up in a poor neighborhood in Rawalpindi, the author states: “… a child growing up in a backward district of Rawalpindi, there was not much by way of entertainment. There were movies, of course, and I loved watching them, but other than that, there was not much to do except hang around on the street, visit a dargah or fly kites. My parents were very strict about my getting back home on time, so I hated the evenings and couldn't wait for the sun to rise. When fame came to me, I was young and happily grabbed it with both hands. I found a whole new world to explore and I just wanted to go out and experience everything and that, too, in a hurry…”
Commenting on his truthful nature, the author notes: “I am brutally truthful, and it hurts me. You can imagine how much trouble I get into at press conferences. I try to hold it in, but I can't keep quiet. These uncontrolled statements that just shoot out of my mouth have cost me dearly. Often, I have been forced to retract statements and that hasn't elevated my reputation either. It was hard enough to deal with the mess I kept getting into without the media highlighting all my frailties and ignoring my strengths. Most of the time, I was in some row or the other with the management, which had no compunctions about telling their side of the story to the media while I would let things ride because I was busy trying to find money for all the court fees and fines levied on me. By nature, I don't like being negative or talking about negative things—I've spent most of my life fighting them off.”
Explaining how economic hardships influenced his aggressive behavior, the author observes: “My economic background and its incumbent responsibilities left me with no other option but to play cricket. In a way, cricket has taken away my family life. I missed so many family occasions, including my brothers' weddings, I missed a large part of my sister's growing up and then the birth of her first child. In fact, I haven't really got to know my nephews and niece; and I couldn't look after my mom and dad the way I wanted to. The game, to some extent, has also taken away my peace of mind and trust in people. I have become so aggressive that I startle even myself. The nature of my job is to wrench the game away from the opposition, hurl the ball at them like a missile—not exactly conducive to a gentlemanly deportment.”
Referring to sledging, the author states: “I was all raw energy and had no trouble with sledging or trash-talk. In fact, I relished, and still do, taking on a side that is more than willing to use their mouths as a tool. If Harbhajan was caught on camera yelling at me, it could just have been a reaction to my needling. I knew that retaliation was inevitable, and I could be at the receiving end as well; therefore I never carried any ill-feelings towards my colleagues. At least, I never judged them on these grounds but if I caught a whiff of racism, then things were different. Most of us leave our grouses on the field where they belong but non-players continue to talk about them forever and this often has a whiplash effect on players.”
Expounding on the financial earnings of cricketers, the author observes: “For most cricketers, the game is also their bread and butter. And everyone knows that a sportsman's earning time is limited and the game is physically debilitating, but who cares! Till 2000, Pakistani players were paid PKR 18,000 (approximately US$200) as fees for a Test match… A bowler of my caliber in India would earn fifteen crore rupees or over a million and a half US dollars in a year at the very least. This is, however, the total amount I have earned during my entire career…There is good money in first-class cricket and even in the Ranji Trophy in India. If you come from a village and can play 15-20 matches at this level, you can take back at least fifteen lakh rupees, which is good enough to build a pucca home in the village. I understand that India's economy is larger than ours, but even Bangladesh pays better money than us…for most players…jobs are drying up fast in Pakistan…The white man is safe. He has alternatives; he can work in other fields. Indian players are also better taken care of. Sanjay Manjrekar, Navjot Singh Sidhu and several other players have found jobs that help them earn a living with dignity.”
From yesteryears of discriminating against great cricketers like Muhammad Brothers to the recent episode of ignoring Fawad Alam, the egoistic “Akbar-e-Azam” mindset of PCB leadership has destroyed the cricket career of many talented cricketers. Expounding on this sad reality, cricketers' lack of job security and unprofessional attitude of PCB, the author notes: “The result is the total lack of security faced by a player even at his peak. Combined with the shenanigans the PCB indulges in, this leads to a strange problem, of a player's need for revenge. Players, great players, have chosen the wrong path because they have wanted to get back at the board. They have been humiliated so many times that they don't care about the consequences. The problem arises when the player becomes insecure or is treated badly, like I was by Naseem, and starts thinking, well, they are going to throw me out after a few games but if I ever manage to get back, I'll show them! A strange desire for vendetta sets in. When they regain their berth, they make sure they hurt the PCB in some way, even if it means fixing a match. This may sound strange but it's true: most of the time, these things get done not out of greed but because they want to hurt those who have hurt them. And, of course, they make a quick buck in the process. This is what I have observed with Pakistani players.”
Commenting on the role of media creating trouble for cricketers, the author states: “But other than Imran, I'm sorry to say that I haven't met a single cricketer who put the game before himself. This is my personal opinion and I stand by it. While we were destroying ourselves, the media took up the responsibility of creating more trouble… In my opinion, our media has had a huge hand in destroying the reputation of Pakistan cricket and hasn't learnt that their counterparts around the world mostly take care not to tarnish their country's image. Your country matters, boss! Sport is a national matter, and we should be supported when we are going through trying times, not harassed and humiliated.”
Describing Greg Chappell’s biased behavior episode, the author observes: “My bowling is my pride. By questioning my action, Chappell insulted me, and I refused to shake hands with him after the matches. Then he had a row with Ganguly and I remember talking to Ganguly about his attitude. Most of the players didn't have any respect for him. He never laughed—such a downer. And he was so cold. I know that people can be different but being cordial can't be so hard. Anyhow, I just can't respect a cricketer who tries to finish off another cricketer. That is what Chappell was trying to do by questioning my action.”
Commenting on the strategies to contain Indian batsmen, the author notes: “You know India is not comfortable against fast bowling. It became a running argument between the captain, the management and me. I firmly believed that there was no need to be defensive but they preferred to make pitches on which the batsmen had plenty of time to gauge the length of the ball. Frankly, we made the pitch for Sehwag and he tore us apart. We would have faced a humbling defeat in the series but for the fact that we reined in Sachin Tendulkar. What went in our favor was that Sachin was suffering from tennis elbow; this severely handicapped the great batsman. We managed to psychologically browbeat him. We bounced the ball at him and were able to unnerve him. I returned to the dressing room that first day with the knowledge that Sachin was not comfortable facing the fast and rising ball. And he was distinctly uncomfortable against me. That was enough to build on. When we got back on the field, I bowled a particularly fast ball which he, to my amazement, didn't even touch. He walked away! That was the first time I saw him walk away from me—that, too, on the slow track at Faisalabad. It got my hunting instincts up. In the next match, I hit him on the head, and he could not score after that. After Sachin, there was not much opposition. I was the one who would pass by the bat and bruise the batsmen and Asif would pick up their wickets. At team meetings, we would pool our observations about the Indian players and strategize to contain them. It was only then that our lot realized that the pitch needed to be fast. After drawing two matches, we finally prepared a proper pitch, as I had wanted from the start. And we won, and how! We destroyed them.”
Explaining the pivotal role his friends played in his life, the author notes: “Voh mere bahut saaree raaton ke saathee hain jab mein akela hota hoon. And I am very lucky because they really love me. Good times or bad times, they never change, and I can always expect genuine criticism, the kind that is meant to help me. Very often, I walk in to be greeted with a critical and mildly annoyed query: Yeh aapne kya bowling ki aaj?—What were you trying to do with the ball today? I tell them, Yaar hogai aaj, kya karoon—lt wasn't my day, what to do? And they respond with Accha koina, aggle game vich yaad rakheen—Okay, never mind. Just remember what you did wrong, for the next game. And then Iftekhar places a delicious dinner in front of me to ward off bad memories of the day's play. I live away from my folks and these guys are my surrogate family.”
Reflecting back on his career and farewell to cricket, the author states: “… the eighteen glorious years of playing cricket and serving my country. What more can a man ask for. Even before the World Cup was over, the world had responded to my retirement with so much praise that it was humbling. When the Australian team checked into the same hotel that we were staying in, most of the players made a beeline for me. Brett Lee hugged me and said, 'What have you gone and done, man?' adding, 'it's gonna happen to me as well soon.' Grant Flower was supportive, as were so many others from all the different teams. Accolades came pouring in, directly and through the media. Imran Khan called and congratulated me on a long and brilliant career….”
Remembering his accomplishments and contributions to the game, the author observes: “…I was the first to cross the 100-mile barrier, twice, and am still the fastest bowler in the world, having set an official world record by achieving the fastest delivery ever, clocking in at 161.3 kmph (100.2 mph). When I look back at my career, this is what I hope people will remember: That I have taken more than 400 wickets in international cricket, spearheading the pace attack for my team. I am a thinking bowler with a passion to win; as a result, my bowling spells have often won matches and even series for my country. I have taken the scalp of some of the best batsmen in the world. At my very first encounter with India, I captured the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, and I flattened Brian Lara with my third delivery. I have been carried on the shoulders of my fans at home in an exuberant celebration of the team's victory. Indeed, I have fans all over the cricketing world whose faith has kept me going when things went wrong. And I have always played with all my heart for my country and my fans.”
Shoaib Akhtar — ControversiallyYours is an absorbing book that not only chronicles the life and career of Shoaib Akhtar aka Rawalpindi Express, the world’s fastest bowler, but also provides insights into the embedded ills of society due to the colonial mindset of the corrupt ruling elite. The book is a must read for all cricket lovers around the world.
(Dr Ahmed S, Khan - dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org - is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar.)
