As expected, this time as well, the Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akthar has been eliminated from the list of probables for the world T20 beginning this April. Though this was not a shock news for most of us, it is truly disappointing for atleast some of us if not all. Shoaib Akthar need not be in full praise for the world's fastest delivery bowled by him with a bent elbow which he might be proud of. Neither was his pace of any danger to any of the well known batsmen of the world. On the otherhand, bowlers with a lesser pace and some part time bowlers have managed to fare better than Shoaib.
One need not compare Shoaib with Wasim Akthar or Waqar Younis but, it has been found that every Pakistani captain prefers a part time bowler (who has converted himself into a full time one due to lack of the same in Pakistan cricket) in Shahid Afridi, who is now a days seen bowling 10 overs in every ODI he is found playing. His flash in the pan brilliance was evident when he was able to take 4 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders in the very first match that he played for the same. This was done against the Delhi Daredevils at Kolkata only to be belted for 14.5 runs an over by Sanath Jayasuriya in their 68 run chase in the next game.
Unlike it has happened to Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, Shoaib Akthar has been lucky when it came to his bent elbow. Muralitharan was targetted by the entire world with Australians having a major share in it when he was about to claim the world record for having the most wickets in test cricket. But, Shoaib Akthar's other related controversies have always found haunting him wherever he goes and whomever he faces. It is not the ICC alone that has targetted Shoaib off late but the PCB itself when it considers Shoaib Akthar to be dangerous for them off the field than to the opposition on it.
And time as well, the PCB has sidelined Shoaib Akthar for the T20 world cup that is due in the Caribbean in April this year. And the lame excuse that the PCB is found giving this time is neither got to do anything with his fitness or his form. But, the PCB terms Shoaib Akthar unfit for the tour citing his long term absence from international cricket, which reports suggest that Shoaib last played for Pakistan somewhere in May 2009 against Australia at UAE. But, even Pakistan had not played test cricket for more than a year in 2008 after all teams started boycotting their tours to Pakistan. Should the ICC also ban Pak from playing test cricket?
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