Former Pakistani fast bowler Saeeb Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express for his speed, continues to attract global cricket attention even after retiring. He himself helped Pakistan secure victories in several important matches.
According to Akhtar, if he had had leadership like Imran Khan's during his era, his Test career could have changed drastically. Akhtar admitted that he still regrets that the dream of playing under Imran Khan remained unfulfilled. He noted that instead of the 178 Test wickets he has, he could have taken over 400.
Discussing this with a Pakistani television channel, Saeeb stated that he took more than 400 wickets in first-class matches. However, in international Tests, he managed only 178 wickets in 46 games. Akhtar emphasized that Imran Khan had a talent for identifying players' best potential. When Saeeb debuted in Tests in 1997, Imran had already left international sports.
Saeeb's entire career was under different captains, and it involved many controversial moments. At the beginning of his career, Wasim Akram was the captain, and there were rumors that he initially did not want Saeeb to debut. Nevertheless, later they showed brilliant play together during the tour of India in 1999 and at the 1999 World Cup, where Pakistan reached the final.
Saeeb's career ended during the 2011 World Cup. During this period, reports emerged about disagreements between Saeeb Akhtar and the then-captain Shahid Afridi. Saeeb recounted that maintaining his pace required a daily struggle. An injection was used to draw fluid from his knees. He also mentioned that before team practice, he had to cycle and work out in the gym to relieve spasms in his knees. Injections and medication were administered into his knees, followed by ice therapy. After a match, it took him five hours to recover his body. Furthermore, Saeeb scored 247 runs in 163 one-day matches and took 21 wickets in 15 T20 matches.
