'Did bungee jumping when told to rest'- Shoaib Akhtar recalls going against team management's directives

The one pacer who is the epitome of true rebelliousness is the world’s fastest bowler of his time, Shoaib Akhtar. So, what did the Pakistan bowling icon do when he was asked to take some rest? He headed out for bungee jumping, that’s what! The Rawalpindi Express has shared a story of hilarious defiance from his playing time when he went against the suggestion of team management.

The instance is from Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand in 2004 when the right-arm pacer suffered a groin injury and was advised to take rest. In true fast bowler’s flamboyance, he booked a helicopter and went on a bungee jumping adventure instead.

Fed white sharks on my birthday: Shoaib Akhtar

Talking to Sportskeeda the pacer said, “I remember during the 2004 tour of New Zealand, the management asked me to take rest as I was injured. I was clearly instructed not to do anything that would hurt my chances of playing during the tour. As soon as everyone left for the official dinner, I booked a helicopter and headed out for bungee jumping, ignoring the fact that I had been hit on the groin by a ball. As expected I was in pain after the exercise.”

This wasn’t the end of his (mis)adventures. “In fact, during the birthdays, friends tell me: ‘we will take you for feeding sharks as your birthday gift’. So, I was feeding great white sharks in the deep-sea ocean. My legs were shivering, as the sharks were 15-20 feet long,” he added. Akhtar’s career, however, was often marred with injuries and he recalled the reason.

“During my playing days, a break used to always rejuvenate me. But the team management did not understand me. Even at the first-class level, the story was the same. During the match or practice, I always used to bowl from my full run-up. I have approximately covered thrice the distance of the earth’s circumference only by running. The management should have been more careful and played me in only three of the five ODIs during a series,” said the Pakistan great further.