AB de Villiers on Shoaib Akhtar: 'miles faster than Bumrah, not even close'
Asked to choose between Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga and Shoaib Akhtar, the South African great picked the Rawalpindi Express for raw pace, and Bumrah for consistency.
AB de Villiers says Shoaib Akhtar was the toughest fast bowler he faced on pace alone, "miles faster than Bumrah, not even close", ProPakistani reported on Sunday 18 October 2026. The former South Africa captain was speaking on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, where the host asked him to choose the hardest to face among India's Jasprit Bumrah, Sri Lanka's Lasith Malinga and Pakistan's Shoaib.
"He was incredibly tough," de Villiers said of Shoaib.
How de Villiers ranked the three
| Bowler | What de Villiers said |
|---|---|
| Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) | The toughest of the three on raw pace, "miles faster than Bumrah" |
| Jasprit Bumrah (India) | The most consistent of the three |
| Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) | Never really troubled him, because by the time they met he was a more mature batter |
The answer is not quite the knock on Bumrah that the clip suggests. De Villiers separated speed from skill: Shoaib for the sheer pace he had to survive as a younger batter, Bumrah for the bowler who keeps hitting the same spot.
The numbers behind "miles faster"
Shoaib's 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) delivery against England at Newlands, Cape Town, in the World Cup on 22 February 2003 is listed by Guinness World Records as the fastest ball of its kind. Guinness notes that the ICC does not officially recognise any single reading because speed guns around the world are not uniform, but it is widely regarded as the fastest ever bowled.
Why it lands this week
The comments arrive as Pakistan's own fast bowlers are back in the spotlight. Naseem Shah, returning from injury, took the first Sri Lankan wicket in Sunday's ODI tri-series opener in Rawalpindi, and Shaheen Shah Afridi leads the side; follow the match and the rest of the series on our Pakistan tri-series page and in the cricket match centre. Pakistan play England on Tuesday 20 October at 1:30pm PKT, live on PTV Sports and the Tamasha app.
Frequently asked questions
- What did AB de Villiers say about Shoaib Akhtar?
- On The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast he said Shoaib was "incredibly tough, miles faster than Bumrah, not even close", and the hardest of the three fast bowlers he was asked about to face for pace.
- What is Shoaib Akhtar's fastest ball?
- 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph), against England at Newlands, Cape Town, in the World Cup on 22 February 2003, as listed by Guinness World Records.
Sources
- AB de Villiers Rates Pakistani Pacer Above Bumrah: ProPakistani
- Fastest delivery of a cricket ball (male): Guinness World Records
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