On this day: Shoaib Akhtar became the first bowler to break the 100-mile barrier
India Today
Shoaib Akhtar was the first person to be recorded to break the 100-mile barrier. He still remains to be the fastest bowler of all time.
On this day, back in the year 2002, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar became the first player in history to break the 100-mile barrier. Akhtar, while playing in the third ODI against New Zealand in Lahore, pumped up his horses to bowl the quickest delivery ever recorded in the cricket field at that time.
One of the fastest bowlers to have ever played the game of cricket, tributes poured in for Akhtar on his day of achievement. This wasn't the only time that Akhtar bowled over 100-miles. In the very next year since this achievement, Akhtar would go onto bowl the quickest delivery ever recorded in cricket's history against England.
On the day Shoaib Akhtar became the first bowler to break the 100mph barrier 20 years ago, we dug into the archives to find perhaps his most ferocious delivery on Australian shores! pic.twitter.com/W3S2o5KZmZ
The speedometer would clock him at 161.3 KMPH, a record that has not been broken ever since. A select few have come close to touching the 161.3 mark, but none have been successful. Akhtar's rival at the time for the fastest bowler in cricket, Brett Lee came agonisingly close to touching the mark with his 161.1 KMPH delivery, but he could not go faster than that.
