Shoaib Akhtar Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Bio/Wiki
Nickname(s)	Rawalpindi Express, Tiger
Profession	Former Pakistani Cricketer
Famous For	Delivering the fastest ball in the history of Cricket (161.3 km/h) [1]Daily Telegraph
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 183 cm in meters- 1.83 m in feet inches- 6’
Weight (approx.)	in kilograms- 80 kg in pounds- 176 lbs
Body Measurements (approx.)	- Chest: 42 inches - Waist: 32 inches - Biceps: 16 inches
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Cricket
International Debut	ODI- 28 March 1998 against Zimbabwe in Harare Test- 29 November 1997 against West Indies in Rawalpindi T20- 28 August 2006 against England in Bristol
International Retirement	ODI- 8 March 2011 against New Zealand at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium Test- 8 December 2007 against India at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium T20- 28 December 2010 against New Zealand at Seddon Park
Jersey Number	#14 (Pakistan) #14 (IPL, County Cricket)
Domestic/State Team(s)	Rawalpindi, Kolkata Knightriders, Somerset, Durham and Worcestershire
Favourite Ball	Reverse Swing
Records (main ones)	• Fastest ball ever with the speed of 161.3 km/h. • Remaining not out in 12 successive ODI innings.
Career Turning Point	After dismissing Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar off consecutive deliveries in the first match of the Asian Test Championship at Kolkata in 1999.
Personal Life
Date of Birth	13 August 1975
Age (as of 2021)	46 Years
Birthplace	Morgah, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Zodiac sign	Leo
Signature
Nationality	Pakistani
Hometown	Rawalpindi, Pakistan
School	Elliot High School, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
College/University	Asghar Mall College, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Educational Qualification	Graduate
Religion	Islam
Sect	Sunni
Food Habit	Non-Vegetarian
Hobbies	Singing, Listening to Music, Watching Hindi Films
Controversies	• After a verbal conflict with Waqar Yunis in the 2003 World Cup, he was sacked along with other players; including Yunis. • In a triangular series held in Sri Lanka in 2003, he was caught ball tampering; becoming the second player to be banned on ball tampering charges. The same year, he was banned for two ODIs and one Test for abusing South African spin bowler Paul Adams; during a match against South Africa. • He was sent back from the 2005 Australia tour amid rumours of indiscipline; although his hamstring injury was also one of the reasons. • In February 2006, he was banned for two years for allegedly using performance-enhancing drugs. • In November 2006, an officer named Anil Kaul, who was assigned to the Pakistan Team in India, alleged that Akhtar had slapped former coach Bob Woolmer following a fight over the music to be played in the team bus on the eve of ICC Champions Trophy. • In October 2006, the Pakistan Cricket Board suspended Akhtar, along with Mohammed Asif, after they tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance nandrolone. • According to Pakistan news reports, Akhtar had also been arrested along with drugs in 2003. • According to sources, Akhtar had fight with Mohammad Asif in the dressing room; in the week before the inaugural World Twenty20. During the fight, Akhtar was rumoured to have hit Asif with a bat; leaving a bruise on his left thigh. Reportedly, the fight started after Asif and Shahid Afridi disagreed with Shoaib that he shared the same stature as Imran Khan in Pakistan cricket. • In 2008, he was banned for five years for violating the players' code of conduct. • On 26 October 2021, he walked out of a TV show after he disagreed with the host Nauman Niaz. Akhtra resigned during the live special show for T20 World Cup on PTV News in the presence of guests like Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower, Rashid Latif, Umar Gul, Rashid Latif, Aaqib Javed and Pakistan women's team captain Sana Mir. Reportedly, it all started when Niaz asked Akhtar if Pakistan made a mess of the chase against New Zealand, Akhtra ignored this question and started talking about pacer Haris Rauf. [2]Hindustan Times
Girls, Affairs, and More
Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Girlfriends	Sonali Bendre, Actress (Rumoured)
Marriage Date	25 June 2014
Family
Wife/Spouse	Rubab Khan
Children	Son- Muhammad Mikaeel Ali Daughter- None
Parents	Father- Mohammad Akhtar Mother- Hameeda Awan
Siblings	Brother(s)- Shahid (Elder), Tahir (Elder), Obaid (Elder), and Late Shoaib Sister- Shumaila (Younger)
Favourites
Cricketer(s)	Batsmen- Sachin Tendulkar, Adam Gilchrist, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Rahul Dravid Bowler(s)- Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, and Imran Khan Batsman- Javed Miandad[3]ABY News
Cricket Ground(s)	Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Eden Gardens, Kolkata
Food	Aloo-Keema
Actor(s)	Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan
Actress	Marina Khan (She was his childhood crush as well), Sonali Bendre
Film	Gladiator (2000)
Singer(s)	Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar
Colour(s)	Black and Blue
Perfume	Hugo Boss
Style Quotient
Cars Collection	• Mercedes SL (R129) • Toyota Land Cruiser Prado • Honda Civic
Bikes Collection	• Ducati 999 • Honda CBR Fireblade

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shoaib Akhtar

• Does Shoaib Akhtar smoke?: Yes

• Does Shoaib Akhtar alcohol?: Yes
  

  Shoaib Akhtar With A Glass of Beer in His Hand

• His childhood was very difficult; as his family had so poor economic conditions that once their roof collapsed one night, and they struggled to protect themselves from the rain.

• In his childhood, Shoaib used to bowl with pebbles and stones near his house. He says-
  

  “I used to throw rocks on the mountains next to my house. I used to build up muscles by throwing rocks. Then I started bowling with the rocks.”

  

  Shoaib Akhtar Childhood Photo

• He was a fine sprinter in his school days and used to run the 100-meter races. However, during an interview, he revealed that he could walk until the age of five. ^[4]The Guardian
  

  A Rare Photo of Shoaib Akhtar

• Shoaib Akhtar didn’t pick up a ball until he was 15. He recalls of his first outing-
  

  “My brother was captain of the local club. “I went to watch him play and they were a guy short. I said: ‘I’ll play.’ My brother laughed: ‘You?’ But the others persuaded him. I think everyone was quite impressed when I came on to bowl.”

• He was first noticed by Isthaq Shah, the President of Rawalpindi Real Cricket association of the 90s. He was so impressed with his bowling that he offered him to play in a Test match against New-Zealand.

• He started playing serious cricket at the age of 19 or 20.

• During an interview, when asked about where does all the talent come from in Pakistan, he replied, from the streets, He went on to say-
  

  “Bhai log they hum log. Dada log they. Mazaak karte they, halla gulla karte they; ladkiyon ke saath. Achanak cricket khelna shuru kardiya.”

• He bowled the fastest ball in cricket history with 161.3 km/h (100.2 miles/h); against England in the 2003 World Cup at Cape Town, South Africa. 

• Guess, to which batsman Shoaib Akhtar scared of the most, well, it’s not Sachin Tendulkar, but Rahul Dravid who was the biggest nightmare for Akhtar. Once, he compared Dravid to boxing legend Muhammad Ali; saying the Indian batting great “would tire you out.” ^[5]Dawn

• He was offered the role in film “Gangster” by Mahesh Bhatt, but the PCB didn’t allow him.

• He considers Mohammad Zahid of Pakistan as the fastest bowler he ever saw.

• Apart from cricket, he likes to play Snooker and Football.

• He is a die hard fan of Kishore Kumar. Here’s a video; showing his singing skills-

• He was so scared of Sachin’s hammering at the 2003 World Cup that he asked the captain Waqar Younis to take him off the attack.
  

• Shoaib Akhtar hates net practice. In an interview he said-
  

  “Nets destroy fast bowlers. In the net, the pitch area looks smaller. And you are in a cocoon. Even if you are hit, how far will the ball go? Into the side net. You won’t get humiliated. Come outside, on a pitch, if you bowl slightly loose, you will be hit for four through the gap. Then you will hurt. Then you will come back strongly. That makes a bowler.”

• He is also considered to have the longest run-up in the history of cricket.
  
• Throughout his 18-year cricket career, he underwent injuries several times. On his injuries, he says-
  

  “I used to crawl to my bathroom every day of my career. I used to limp out of my bed. I can’t remember a day I didn’t have pain in my knees for the last 18 years.”

• In October 2021, the video of Shoaib Akhtar resigning as cricket analyst from PTV during the live special show for the T20 World Cup on PTV News went viral on social media. During the show, Nauman Niaz, a renowned Pakistani cricket broadcaster, called Akhtar ‘rude’ and said he was ‘free to go’ if he wanted to. The problem started after Akhtar ignored Niaz’s question ‘whether Pakistan made a mess of the chase against New Zealand’ and started praising Haris Rauf. Akhtar said,
  

  This is the guy who deserves all the credit. It was Lahore Qalanders who gave us Haris Rauf.”

  It annoyed Niaz who told Akhtar,

  You’re being a little rude and I don’t want to say this, but if you’re being over smart, you can go. I am saying this on air.”

  Subsequently, Niaz went for a break, and after the show was resumed, Akhtar demanded an apology from Niaz; however, Niaz did not budge and started discussing the match. A few minutes later, Akhtar turned to his fellow experts including Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower, Rashid Latif, Umar Gul, Rashid Latif, Aaqib Javed, and Pakistan women’s team captain Sana Mir on the show, and after apologising to them, he announced his resignation from PTV sports.

• On 27 October 2021, Akhtar took to Twitter to give an official statement over his resignation from PTV. In a video statement, Akhtar said,
  

  Multiple clips are circulating on social media so I thought I should clarify. dr noman was abnoxious (sic) and rude wen he asked me to leave the show.”

Multiple clips are circulating on social media so I thought I shud clarify. pic.twitter.com/ob8cnbvf90

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) October 26, 2021