Former Pakistan pace legend Shoaib Akhtar took some time off from cricket analysis to talk about memes. Yep. The retired Rawalpindi Express who once clocked bowling speeds of upwards of 90 miles, 161.3 kmph being his fastest, gave a peek into his student life while reviewing memes on stand-up comedian and vlogger Tanmay Bhat’s popular YouTube series “Pakistanis are savage.” Reacting to a meme, Bhat asked Akhtar if the bowler was a studious kid. “I was a brilliant student. When I reached graduation, I had started playing cricket. I was a fast learner. I was naughty too,” Akhtar responded. Writer and comedian Ashish Shakya who was among the meme-panelists on Bhat’s now-viral video asked if taking up sports in school gave pacer the license of being not-so-involved in studies.
“I started playing cricket for girls. To be honest with you, we had a girls’ block. I started bowling to impress them. They used to watch my fast bowling. I had become a local star. But when I used to come on my motorcycle and didn’t get any attention, I realised I needed to move forward in cricket,” Akhtar chimed in a lighter vein.
Coming back to cricket, after another belter of a wicket at National Stadium Karachi—venue for the second Test match between Australia and Pakistan, a number of former Pakistan cricketers have vented their disappointment at Ramiz Raja for producing colorless pitches. A number of greats which include the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Inzamam ul Haq, and Wasim Akram took digs at their home boards, pointing out how the pitches should have been dished out for the incoming visitors.
