In a dramatic announcement, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that he has decided to return to cricket to teach ‘today’s kids what real speed is’. Akhtar took to twitter to reveal his intentions of making a comeback to the cricket field on Valentine’s Day.
“I too will play league [cricket] now so you better watch out,” Akhtar said in a video message posted on his twitter handle.
While Akhtar did not give out much detail of the ‘league’ in which he is set to participate but the date (February 14th) has got everyone excited. The fourth edition of Pakistan Super League (PSL) is set to begin on February 14, giving rise to speculations of Akhtar making his first appearance in Pakistan’s premier T20 tournament.
Notably, ever since the inauguration of PSL, majority of Pakistan fans wanted the 43-year-old Akhtar to be a part of it. While there was no direct indication of Akhtar making his debut in PSL 2019 apart from the date of his return, the announcement has taken social media by storm.
Akhtar also said he wanted to set a demonstration of speed to the youngsters. “Kids today think they know a lot and can challenge my speed. I want them to know that I am coming back and I will show them what speed really is,” Akhtar said in his video.
This could be Akhtar first appearance in a professional league after announcing his retirement after the 2011 ODI World Cup. The speedster did make fringe appearances in non-competitive cricket games or friendly matches but largely had been busy with his commentary stints during that period.