Video: Shoaib Akhtar destroys New Zealand single-handedly

Shoaib Akhtar has played 46 Tests for Pakistan

Shoaib Akhtar was always impossible to play when in-form. His swinging yorker balls were lethal and devastating; he uprooted number of stumps by bowling the same yorker deliveries so many times.

The right-arm fast bowler emerged in 90s and was a natural successor to the Pakistan’s legendary pace attack of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. He always kept his focus on speed, 150 plus kmph deliveries were natural to him.

It was in 2002 when Akhtar earned his career best Test bowling figures against the visiting New Zealand side in Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium. He plucked 6 wickets without any fielders help and by giving away just 11 runs. The pacer clean bowled five Kiwi’s batsmen in which he uprooted the middle stump four times and one batsman was caught on pads, leg-before wicket.

Here’s the epic video:

Match details:

Pakistan team after winning the toss elected to bat first and made a mammoth 643 runs in 1st innings, Inzamam-ul-Haq was the batting star for his smashing 329 runs. In reply, New Zealand could only manage to score 73 in their 1st innings because of Akhtar’s in-form fast bowling and were later forced to bat first in the 2nd innings.

But they failed again against the home team’s bowling attack and were bowled out at 246 runs and faced an innings and 324 runs big defeat.