1975
Birth of Shoaib Akhtar, one of the fastest bowlers the game has ever seen. Twice unofficially clocked at over 100mph, he drew as much attention for his blistering pace as for his unique action and outspoken nature. At his peak, Shoaib was a terrifying prospect for any batter, but his career was often marred by controversies, injuries, and clashes with authorities. He was forced to remodel his action over throwing suspicions and faced criticism after a lacklustre performance in the 2003-04 series loss to India. Although he occasionally produced flashes of his lethal best, he missed more Tests than he played. His career was further rocked by an alleged drug scandal in 2006, a fight with teammate Mohammad Asif in 2007, and being sidelined with a bizarre health issue. Shoaib bowed out of international cricket after a disappointing 2011 World Cup.