Shoaib Akhtar is one of the fastest bowlers that the game has ever produced and the batters still have nightmares about facing the Pakistan pacer. A charged-up Akhtar running into bowl is a sight that every cricket fan remembers and for many, it is a favourite cricketing memory as well. On Thursday, Akhtar and AB de Villiers had a funny exchange on Twitter as the duo reminisced about their playing days and how Akhtar gave the Proteas batter “nightmares”.
On Wednesday, the official handle of cricket.com.au shared a video of Akhtar bowling a ferocious bouncer to a then 21-year-old Shane Watson.
“What a way to spend my 21st birthday!!@shoaib100mph was so good and so bloody fast,” Watson tweeted.
To this tweet, de Villiers replied: “Oh man! I still get nightmares.”
Akhtar then said that de Villiers has also given many sleepless nights to bowlers all around the world.
“Come on AB, you’ve given sleepless nights to many bowlers yourself. Always a pleasure interacting with you.”
The former South Africa skipper then spoke about how Akhtar nearly broke his leg at the SuperSport Park, Centurion.
“Haha. Good old days! U almost broke my leg at Supersport Park in my early twenties after I decided to pull u for 6. The minute it hit my bat I knew it was a big mistake,” tweeted de Villiers.
Haha. Good old days! U almost broke my leg at Supersport Park in my early twenties after I decided to pull u for 6. The minute it hit my bat I knew it was a big mistake
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) April 28, 2022
Akhtar then shared a video from an old match between Pakistan and South Africa, where de Villiers tried to pull the pacer, but the ball just ended up castling his stumps.
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“Not every pull went for a 6 though. Hahaha,” tweeted Akhtar.
Not every pull went for a 6 though.
Hahaha https://t.co/yGz3oETZIZ pic.twitter.com/PlxVKVRbZX— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) April 28, 2022
Akhtar played 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 15 T20Is for Pakistan. Across all three formats of the game, he scalped 444 wickets.
On the other hand, AB de Villiers called time on his career after amassing 20,014 international runs.
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