“I booked a helicopter and headed out for bungee jumping” - Shoaib Akhtar recalls ignoring advice to rest during 2004 tour of New Zealand

Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar has narrated an interesting anecdote from the team’s 2004 tour of New Zealand, when he went out bungee jumping despite being injured. The "Rawalpindi Express" was clearly instructed by the management to rest, so he gets more time to heal from his groin injury.

Pakistan played two Tests and five ODIs in New Zealand during their 2003-04 tour. Akhtar was hit in the groin during one of the training sessions and was forced to miss the first couple of one-dayers.

Recalling how he ignored the Pakistan management’s advice to rest and headed out for some fun, the 46-year-old told Sportskeeda:

“I remember during the 2004 tour of New Zealand, the management asked me to rest as I was injured. I was clearly instructed not to do anything that would hurt my chances of playing matches during the tour.”

What exactly did Akhtar do? The former speedster revealed:

“As soon as everyone left for the official dinner, I booked a helicopter and headed out for bungee jumping, ignoring the fact that I had been hit on the groin by a ball. As expected, I was in pain after the exercise!”

Akhtar explained that he liked taking such breaks from the game as he rejuvenated him. Opening up about his other pastimes, he said that he likes feeding great white sharks in Australia. He elaborated:

“In fact, during the birthdays, friends tell me - ‘we will take you for feeding sharks as your birthday gift’. So I was feeding great white sharks in the deep sea ocean. My legs were shivering, as the sharks were 15-20 feet long.”

He added about another adventure, stating:

“In Queensland, I went white-water rafting alone. It was risky but I survived the experience. When the management came to know about my activities, I was slapped with a heavy fine.”

The former Pakistan fast bowler even compared his life to the Bollywood movie ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, explaining that he liked doing stuff that everyone stopped him from doing.

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“The management should have been more careful” - Shoaib Akhtar laments being overbowled

Speaking about playing days, Akhtar claimed that he did get enough support from the management at the national or domestic level when it came to being rested. He lamented:

“During my playing days, a break used to always rejuvenate me. But the team management did not understand me. Even at the first-class level, the story was the same. During the match or at practice, I always used to bowl from my full run-up. I have approximately covered thrice the distance of earth’s circumference only by running. The management should have been more careful and played me in only three of the five ODIs during a series.”

In a career hit by injuries, the former Pakistan pacer ended up playing 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 15 T20Is.