NEW DELHI: Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, famously known as the ‘
Rawalpindi Express
‘, is a legendary figure in world cricket, renowned for his searing pace, steep bounce, and lethal yorkers that terrorized batsmen for nearly two decades.
Despite a successful career that spanned 46 Tests, 163 ODIs, and 15 T20Is for Pakistan, Akhtar retired after the 2011 World Cup due to chronic knee issues.
Recently, a video of Akhtar’s lookalike,
Imran Muhammad
, has gone viral on social media, sparking nostalgia among fans.
The footage, from an Oman D10 League match between IAS Invincibles and Yallah Shabab Giants, showcases Imran’s striking resemblance to the iconic pacer.
Imran, now 30, hails from Dera Ismail Khan district in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
He left his village at 18 and now resides in Muscat, where he makes a living by installing CCTV cameras while also participating in franchise league cricket in Oman.
WATCH:
Since his retirement, Shoaib Akhtar has transitioned into a successful commentator and analyst.
He shares his expert opinions and reviews on international matches, league games, and Pakistani cricket on his popular YouTube channel.
Throughout his illustrious career, which began in 1997, Akhtar took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, with his final Test appearance against India in Bangalore in 2007.
In ODIs, he claimed 247 wickets, while in T20Is, he picked up 19 wickets in 15 matches.