COLOMBO (AFP) – Pakistan's recusant paceman Shoaib Akhtar, whose colourful occupation has been a heady mix of on-field splendour and off-field controversy, module depart planetary cricket after the World Cup.
"Yes, I module depart planetary cricket after the World Cup" the 35-year-old told AFP.
"I have taken this selection after such thought. Pakistan's terminal correct in this World Cup module also be my last. I wish that module be the test on Apr 2."
Akhtar prefabricated up his mind after Pakistan's 110-run defeat against New Zealand, in which he went for 70 runs in his figure overs.
He was rested for the correct against Rhodesia on weekday and was intellection to be an implausible starter for Saturday's terminal Group A correct against Australia.
Akhtar, who prefabricated his planetary entry in 1997, took 178 wickets in 46 Tests, the terminal of which was against India at metropolis in 2007.
He is three wickets brief of 250 in 163 one-day internationals and has taken 19 wickets in 15 Twenty20 internationals.
Pakistan unit members hugged him in the intermixture shack on Thursday before officer Shahid Afridi embraced him as the players entered the R. Premadasa structure for practice.
Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express during his tearaway life as digit of Test cricket's most feared if unpredictable talents, once unsmooth the 100mph barrier at the 2003 World Cup.
At this World Cup, which was ever likely to be his swansong, Akhtar looked neat and order with figures of 0-10 and 2-42 against Kenya and Sri Lanka respectively.
He uncomprehensible the win over Canada and was broken all over the park at Pallekele against New Zealand, with figures of 1-70, before existence dropped for the mettlesome with Zimbabwe.
But his occupation module ever be remembered for a program of fitness problems, develop violations as substantially as a doping offence that put the brakes on his achieving his genuine potential.
Akhtar and the now illegal Mohammad Asif unsuccessful drugs tests in 2006 and were suspended for digit eld and digit assemblage respectively, both of which were lifted on appeal.
Fitness problems unnatural him to woman the 2007 World Cup patch he was punished heavily and illegal for 13 ODIs, after he impact Asif with a bat, digit life before the 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.
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