Shoaib Akhtar: a medical marvel
Wisden Cricinfo staff - June 16, 2003
In an exclusive interview with London’s Guardian newspaper, Shoaib Akhtar talked in detail about the controversy surrounding his bowling action, and the medical problems resulting from the much-publicised hyperextension to his joints which is at the heart of doubts over his action.
In April 2002, Shoaib’s action was scrutinised by the human-performance department at the University of Western Australia in Perth. Angered by a ban slapped on him by the International Cricket Council for throwing, Shoaib went to Australia to try to clear his name, a decision that was vindicated when the experts confirmed that his arm was straight at the point of delivery.
“In a way they [the Perth doctors] were so pissed off with me,” he told the Guardian. “They freaked out. ‘How can you be the fastest bowler in the world? You are just pathetically abnormal.’ They measured each single thing about me. They discovered that, where a normal person’s joints move about 20%, maximum, my elbow can move 42%. Same with all my joints. It’s not nice to have all this, it is why I have had so many injuries. I have hyper-tension in my wrists, my knees, everywhere.”
As if his resemblance to a bendy toy wasn’t enough of a handicap, Shoaib went on to explain that he also suffers from flat feet. “Flat, completely,” he explained.. “Every time I’m in England I go to Birmingham to get special boots made. I always see a couple of doctors when I buy them and get everything measured properly. Have to. See, I’m not normal. I couldn’t walk when I was five. My mum will tell you.”
Given his physical defects it was amazing that he played cricket at all. He was a late starter, not even taking part in a game until he was 15. “My brother was captain of the local club,” he said. “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.”
And he added that had he been born Australian, then his career record would have been even more impressive. “With [Glenn] McGrath and [Jason] Gillespie softening them up, then I come on, I’d have got more wickets than anyone ever. Because when I play for Pakistan, with Wasim [Akram] and Waqar [Younis] they are in decline. They were great but they’re not matchwinning bowlers any more. So I have to make it all happen on my own. There is so much expectation on my shoulders.”
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