Read the title of the thread. It says "The world best fast bowler". Pace is a component in making someone the best fast bowler - numbers on a speed gun are measures of the speed from release, they only pay a contributing factor as to the effect of pace.
Furthermore, the title says "at the moment", so why are you whining on about the '99 world cup or anything in the past. You must admit that you are horribly biased in thinking that Shoaib Akhtar is the world's best fast bowler at the moment. At the moment, he cannot string two balls at 90mph together; there goes his number one weapon which was sustained pace. Furthermore, he can barely bowl five overs on the trot, he is unfit even when bowling at half pace. He is in some good form, but he is still nothing compared to Steyn or Lee based on current form.
Played comfortably (-ish) though by Nick Knightusy said:
. Shoaib Akhtar is a very good fast bowler. He is perhaps the quickest of all time. However, based on current form, he pales in comparison to Brett Lee and Dale Steyn. He is a drug user, a violent person and an overall mental wreck, judging by his actions covered by the cricketing media (there is no conspiracy here). Based on career form, he has not played enough Tests to be counted as one of the all time greats because of injuries. In ODIs, economy rate of 4.64 is not that good, strike rate of 29.9 is not breathtaking. Very good, but not great.
He has sacrifised accuracy for pace. He pushes his body to the level where it throws itself off balance and all the straight lines of the action go to pot. This has meant he is wasted potential and with his body weak, he will always be wasted. Speed guns corrupted Akhtar, watch Brett Lee bowl, he bowls mid 140s (which Akhtar could have done comfortably in his prime) but the accuracy and swing is brilliant becuase Lee pushes his body to the limit whilst keeping it balanced. Watch Jeff Thompson bowl, he has been timed at 161kph but most of his balls do not look near that pace because he saved his energy for his bouncers and yorkers which could consequently be very fast. Ian Pont made a comment on cricketweb saying that Akhtar was smart about how to gain pace through action modifications, but I say that he is not smart on how to use it and now he is a great potential, with a poor record and a body which is paying the price of abuse in the persuit of pace.
But could he ever be fit with an action like that? Paradox if I ever saw one.
He is not fat. He is muscular. He is not old, he is 32. He talked about abusing Rooney because he thinks that he is a similar idol to British people as Akhtar is to Pakistanis.
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