In a touching encounter that bridged generations of cricket aficionados, Pakistan’s youngest vlogger, Muhammad Shiraz of Shirazi Village Vlogs fame, had the delightful opportunity to meet one of the nation’s cricketing legends, Shoaib Akhtar.
Shiraz, renowned for his captivating content and infectious personality, had previously declared Akhtar as his favorite cricketer. Shortly thereafter, the cricket icon extended a personal invitation to the five-year-old to visit him at his residence. Shiraz documented this exciting rendezvous on his YouTube channel in a video titled “I Met Shoaib Akhtar, the Fastest Bowler in the World,” uploaded on May 5.
Accompanied by Pakistani cricketers Kamran Ghulam and Haseebullah Khan, Shiraz embarked on a memorable visit to Akhtar’s home. The gathering was characterized by warmth and mutual admiration, with the cricketers expressing their appreciation for Shiraz’s work and revealing their avid viewership of his vlogs.
Cricket naturally took center stage during the meeting, with Akhtar regaling Shiraz and his companions with tales from his illustrious career. In a light-hearted moment, the legendary pacer humorously confessed his penchant for hitting batsmen rather than stumps during his fast bowling days.
“You bowl very dangerously,” remarked the young vlogger. “I saw you hitting the wickets.” Responding with a grin, Akhtar shared insights into his iconic bowling style. “Wickets were never my primary target. I considered the batsmen my real targets, so I aimed to hit them.”
As conversations shifted towards future aspirations, the former cricketer expressed his keenness to explore the scenic region of Gilgit Baltistan, expressing a hope for local talent from the area to make their mark in cricket. “It’s a big wish of mine to see boys from Gilgit Baltistan excel in cricket… A fast bowler from there could potentially break my record,” Akhtar mused.
Reflecting on his own journey in cricket, he reminisced about early encounters with the sport, including a story involving former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s interest in recruiting him at the age of 19.
“I owe my cricketing career to Imran Khan,” Akhtar admitted. “I had hoped to play alongside him, but he retired. He was the one who spotted me at 19 during a camp in 1994. He said, ‘Let this guy play.’ Unfortunately, no one paid heed to him, so I entered the game much later.”
The sportsman also commended Shiraz for his rise to prominence. “The entire world knows who Shiraz is now. Do you realize how many fans you have worldwide? People from America to Canada inquire about Shiraz,” he remarked with a chuckle.
