Shoaib Akhtar  pronunciation (help·info); (Urdu: شعیب اختر‎; born 13 August 1975) is a Pakistani former cricketer who is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of modern cricket.^[1] He was nicknamed the "Rawalpindi Express" due to the city in which he was born.

He made his Test debut in November 1997 and played his first One Day International 4 months later. He played on thePakistan national cricket team as an attacking fast bowler.

He has been involved in several controversies during his career, often accused of not being a team player, but he often made a significant impact. 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 to a banned substance. However, the ban imposed on him was lifted on appeal. In September 2007, he was banned for an indefinite period for his fight with Pakistan team mate and fast bowler Mohammad Asif.^[2] On 1 April 2008, Akhtar was banned for 5 years for publicly criticizing the Pakistan Cricket Board.^[3] In October 2008, the Lahore High Court in Pakistan suspended the five-year ban and Akhtar was selected in the 15-man squad for the Twenty20 Quadrangular Tournament in Canada.^[4] Pakistani judge Rana Bhagwandas once stated that Akhtar is a legend of Pakistan cricket.^[5] Akhtar retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup.