'He is better bowler than you' - Shoaib Akhtar trolled on Twitter for calling James Anderson a 'medium pacer'

England’s fast bowler James Anderson, who made his Test debut in 2003 against Zimbabwe, has added another feather to his illustrious cap as he breached the unthinkable mark of 600 wickets in the longest format of the game for a paceman. Anderson registered himself as the first pacer to have achieved this remarkable feat in Test cricket during the third match of the three-match Test series against Pakistan.

The speedster reached this landmark by taking the wicket of the opposition captain Azhar Ali in the second innings of the Southampton Test. During the third over of day 5, Azhar was batting on 31 when Anderson bowled a rising delivery that moved away from the right-handed batsman and took the shoulder of the bat. England captain Joe Root held on to a head-high catch at first slip.

The 38-year-old is the only pacer to join the club of three retired spinners who have achieved this incredible feat of taking 600 or more wickets in the longest format of the game namely Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australia’s Shane Warne (708) and India’s Anil Kumble (619). In addition, Anderson became the second quickest to reach the milestone, in terms of balls taken, after Muralitharan.

Shoaib Akhtar trolls James Anderson

Just like other cricketers across the globe, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar, who played for Pakistan from 1997 to 2007 taking 178 scalps in 46 Test matches, also took to micro-blogging site to extend his congratulatory wishes for the English veteran on reaching this incredible feat in his cricket career. However, the speedster trolled James Anderson by calling him a ‘medium fast bowler’. Notably, Akhtar has the record of bowling the fastest delivery in the history of the sport that is 161.3 Km/hr.

The Rawalpindi Express tweeted, Incredible 600 by @jimmy9. What an amazing achievement. Playing 156 Test Matches for a medium fast bowler is no less achievement. Cheers mate.”

Incredible 600 by @jimmy9 . What an amazing achievement. Playing 156 Test Matches for a medium fast bowler is no less achievement. Cheers mate. #JamesAnderson #600TestWickets #England pic.twitter.com/dVFMqPvuwA

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 25, 2020

This tweet by the Pakistan veteran immediately grabbed the attention of the Twitterati as they started trolling him for referring to Anderson as a ‘medium fast bowler’. Akhtar was subjected to a lot of trolls and memes by the cricket fans for criticising the English paceman even while congratulating him.

Medium bol k 1 bar phr apnay ap ko fast bolay 😂

— Faisal khan (@FAISIII56) August 25, 2020

Tarrif kar rahe hoo yaa taunt mar rahe hoo medium fast bowler he stills bowl 140+ naseem aur shaheen se toh abhi bhi aacha hai #chiefselector

— navab786 (@chirag30015) August 25, 2020

His is now at the top of hill ! Be it fast bowlers or medium fast bowlers period !

— Humayun Mir ہمایوں میر (@H_Mir) August 25, 2020

He's not medium fast bowler. Has hit 148 plus so many times

— Nakul Prasad (@NakulPrasad3) August 25, 2020

Haha like how you use "medium" fast bowler,you always keep yourself in mind

— Insaaf (@vasista_manu) August 25, 2020

for a medium fast bowler yeh keh kar munafqat zarur karni thi?

— رانا حسنین (@ranahussnain4) August 25, 2020

@jimmy9 @shoaib100mph Please…fast medium…he's bowling 83-86 all day..

— Robin Mayes (@Robin25461631) August 25, 2020

I see what you did there 😂 #MediumFast

— Santo (@invincible_ron) August 25, 2020

Medium fast bowler 😂😂😂

— Raghav Agrawal (@RagAg24) August 25, 2020

Think u were trying to say fast medium

— Waqas 🇵🇰 (@haq_waqas) August 25, 2020

Medium or fast he's better than you to be honest

— Fariz mo (@Faris74997605) August 25, 2020

Why include the word "medium"? Back handed compliment… 😏

— Tim's Best Man (@TimBestMan) August 25, 2020

There was no need to used the word medium fast bowler

— Beast_ Icon Salman (@SalmanSid89) August 25, 2020