Shoaib Akhtar (pronunciation (help·info); born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, YouTuber, and former cricketer who played all formats of the game over a fourteen year career. He is recognized as the fastest bowler in the history of cricket, delivering a world record top speed of 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) in a pool match against England during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Akhtar was nicknamed "Rawalpindi Express" and "Tiger" as a tribute to his hometown and fast bowling. He is also the first bowler to break the 100 mph barrier, doing so twice in his career.
Akhtar made his Test debut in November 1997 as an opening fast bowler and played his first One Day International three months later. Akhtar has been involved in several controversies during his career, often accused of unsportsmanlike conduct, despite his commendations for significantly impacting games in Pakistan's favour. Akhtar was sent home during a Test match series in Australia in 2005 for alleged poor attitude. A year later, he was embroiled in a drug scandal after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance nandrolone. However, the ban imposed on him was lifted on appeal.