ODIs
Mat Runs HS BatAvg 100 50 W BB BowAvg 5W Ct St
Overall 103 291 43 11.64 0 0 167 6/16 22.14 3 14 0
Test Matches
Mat Run HS BatAvg 100 50 W BB BowAvg 5W Ct St
Overall 32 297 37 8.25 0 0 125 6/11 24.48 8 7 0
Shoaib made his test and ODI debut in 1997/98 season against West Indies and Zimbabwe respectively. Though he managed to pick up a couple of wickets in the initial games, it was in the tour of South Africa later that year that he became quite popular. His five wickets haul in the first innings of the 2nd test, took Pakistan to a 29 run win in that test match. Out of the 5 wickets he took 4 were clean bowled and one declared leg before wicket. The batsmen were struggling to keep up to his pace and it was as if they were playing late.
It was in the 1999 World Cup that he expected a lot. Though he didn't make a big performance he was quite consistent in that world cup. Then he performed consistently whenever he got a chance, since he had some breaks due to a claim for suspected action and injuries. It was in first 1 day international against New Zealand in 2002, that he made his record 6/16. Pakistan won that match comfortably by 153 runs. Only a few days after that, he made his record 6 wickets for 11 runs (in tests) in the first innings of the first test against New Zealand. Again Pakistan won that match comfortably by an innings and 324 runs. It was again in 2002 that he made one more stunning performances. One was in June 2002, when Pakistan played Australia (finals one day of the 3 match series) Akhtar took 5 wickets for 25 runs and Pakistan won that game and eventually the series 2-1. It was one more memorable performance by Akhtar. The World Cup of 2003 was a disappointing one for Akhtar. Dropped after the World Cup, Shoaib made a come back against New Zealand in Wellington where he took 11 wickets and took Pakistan to a 1-0 victory in the 2 match test series.
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