NEW DELHI: Shoaib Akhtar, the “Rawalpindi Express,” is renowned for his blistering pace, having bowled the fastest recorded delivery in cricket history – a scorching 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph) during the 2003 World Cup match in Cape Town.
It was a delivery that left many batsmen rattled, struggling to keep up with his lethal speed. However, English batsman Nick Knight had a surprising and memorable reaction to one of Akhtar’s fiery bullets.
During a match between Pakistan and England, Akhtar unleashed one of his trademark thunderbolts, clocking an astounding 161.3 km/h. The delivery rocketed towards Knight, who had a calm and unexpected response. Rather than appearing fazed or intimidated, Knight simply shrugged off the delivery, even mocking the speed with an almost casual demeanor.
His composed reaction to the ball left onlookers both surprised and amused. While Akhtar’s fearsome pace was the stuff of legend, Knight’s calm mockery stood out as a rare instance of a batsman nonchalantly handling one of the fastest balls ever bowled.
This moment remains etched in cricket history, not only because of Akhtar’s speed, but also due to Knight’s cool-headedness in the face of such extreme pace. It exemplifies how, even in the face of intimidating fast bowling, a batsman’s calmness and confidence can sometimes defy the odds.
Shoaib Akhtar Bowls World’s Fastest Delivery Ever 100+MPH | HD
Akhtar reminisced about how he had prepared himself to break the 100 mph barrier. “When you touch 155 kph as a bowler, remember that you have another 5 kph inside you. However, adding that extra pace to your bowling requires specific training. Before I broke the 100 miles record, I was bowling at speeds of 157-158 kph but I was not able to reach 160. I was a bit baffled over the same, wondering why it was not happening,” he told Sportskeeda.
“I began by running with tires but soon realized that they are light. Next, I started pulling small vehicles with my shoulders. There is less public in Islamabad, so I used to pull vehicles in the night. I used to match its speed with the pace of my run-up. I realized that the vehicle is also small, so I started pulling a truck. I used to pull a truck for 4-5 miles.
