Shoaib Akhtar’s elder brother Shahid Akhtar passes away: ‘Rawalpindi Express’ in shock, wave of mourning in the sports world

A very sad news is coming out from the cricket world and the family of former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. Shahid Akhtar, elder brother of Shoaib Akhtar, the world’s fastest bowler and famous as ‘Rawalpindi Express’, has passed away. Shoaib Akhtar himself shared the information of this irreparable loss with his fans and the whole world through social media late in the evening on 23rd June. Due to the sudden demise of his brother, the entire family of the veteran cricketer is in deep shock and grief. Shoaib Akhtar wrote an emotional message on social media. Shoaib Akhtar shared a very emotional post on his official social media handle and wrote, "I am very sad to inform that my dear elder brother Shahid Akhtar has gone to be with Allah." In this sad time, Shoaib Akhtar has prayed to Allah for the peace of his late brother’s soul and for him to get the highest place in heaven. Along with this, he has appealed to his millions of fans and admirers across the world to remember his brother and family in their special prayers. Wave of mourning in the sports world, funeral to be held in Islamabad today As soon as the news of the demise of Shoaib Akhtar’s elder brother was received, a wave of mourning has run in the sports world. Shoaib’s fans, former and current cricketers from around the world as well as many big personalities from the sports world of Pakistan have expressed their deep condolences to his family on social media and paid heartfelt tribute to the late Shahid Akhtar. According to information received from family sources, the last Namaz-e-Janaza of late Shahid Akhtar will be offered today, Wednesday, June 24, 2026, after Asr Namaz. After this, he will be laid to rest (cremated) in H-8 cemetery of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler in the history of cricket. Shoaib Akhtar, who creates fear in the hearts of batsmen with his stormy bowling, is considered to be the most dangerous and fast bowler in the history of cricket. He made a world record for bowling the fastest ball in cricket history against England during the 2003 ICC ODI World Cup. In that historic match, the speed of Shoaib Akhtar’s ball was measured at 161.3 kilometers per hour (KMPH). This is such an unbreakable mega-record, which no bowler in the history of cricket has been able to break till date (till the year 2026). Shoaib Akhtar crossed the speed mark of more than 150 KMPH several times throughout his international career, which shows his incredible physical strength. A look at the illustrious career and records of ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar’s world record for bowling the fastest ball is as great as his international cricket statistics. He has proved his bowling prowess in all three formats for the Pakistan cricket team: Test Cricket: Shoaib Akhtar played 46 Test matches for Pakistan, in which he took a total of 178 wickets at an excellent bowling average of 25.7. One Day International (ODI): Representing in 163 ODI matches, he dismissed 247 batsmen at an impressive average of 24.98. T20 International: In this era of fast cricket, he played 15 T20 matches for Pakistan and took 19 wickets at an average of 22.74. Shoaib Akhtar, who destroyed the batting order of the biggest teams on the field of play, is today going through the most difficult phase of his life, and the entire sports world is standing with him in this sad moment.