Shoaib Akhtar ‘used to pull trucks in training’ to break fastest delivery record

The world's fastest bowler Shoaib Akhtar recently opened up about how he added extra pace to his bowling to break the 160kph speed barrier.

While speaking to Sportskeeda, the Rawalpindi Express revealed various training methods which helped him become the fastest bowler ever.

“When you touch 155 kph as a bowler, remember that you have another 5 kph inside you. However, adding that extra pace to your bowling requires specific training. Before I broke the 100 mph record, I was bowling at speeds of 157-158 kph but I was not able to reach 160,” said Akhtar.

The speedster made his debut back in 1997 and he broke the record in a World Cup game against England where he clocked 100.2mph (161.3kph). Till date, the record has not been broken despite the likes of Shaun Tait and Mohammad Sami coming close.

Akhtar said that his training started with running with tires and then pulling heavy objects such as small vehicles for 4-5 miles.

“I began by running with tires but soon realized that they are light. Next, I started pulling small vehicles with my shoulders. There is less public in Islamabad, so I used to pull vehicles at night,” the pacer revealed.

“I used to match its speed with the pace of my run-up. I realized that the vehicle is also small, so I started pulling a truck. I used to pull a truck for 4-5 miles,” Akhtar claimed.

Akhtar added that he used to train himself on 26-yard pitches to strengthen his body to take the rigorous workload.

"When I bowled on 26-yard strips, my speed came down to 142-143 kph. But my aim remained to touch 150 kph on 26-yard surfaces. My muscles were in great shape back then and I started bowling with old, worn-out balls. I was aiming to hit the wickets with those old balls," Akhtar concluded.