With his slicked-back hair and penchant for fast living, mercurial Shoaib Akhtar has lived up to his nickname of the "Rawalpindi Express".

But the top Pakistan paceman, officially the world's fastest bowler, may find his career has been permanently derailed by the two-year ban handed to him on Wednesday for testing positive for steroids.

The 31-year-old has been through several battles with the authorities, from suspensions over a suspect bowling action to a catalogue of injuries, and debates over his long run-up to ball tampering charges.

Akhtar's first fight came after he was born flat-footed. Doctors in his hometown of Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, said he risked permanent disability if he took up sports, yet as a determined teenager Akhtar proved them wrong.

"It was a miracle that he not only took up cricket but then excelled in it," reminisces brother Shahid Akhtar.

His fledgling career was delayed because of a poor disciplinary report on a junior tour to England in 1996.

He finally heralded his arrival by taking five wickets in the Durban Test in South Africa in 1998, then bowled Indian maestros Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid with successive deliveries in the Calcutta Test in the same year.

He followed up with 16 wickets in the 1999 World Cup to help Pakistan finish runners-up to Australia.

But that same year the Pakistan cricket board fined him 50,000 rupees (833 dollars) and banned him for a one-day international after he returned late to his hotel one evening.

Former pace partner and captain Wasim Akram has described Akhtar as a rare talent who needed proper handling. "He is fast and furious but on and off the field he needs to guard his habits -- both as a bowler and as a person."

In 2000, Akhtar's bowling action was deemed illegal by the International Cricket Council during a Test in Australia.

"I am born with a natural deformity in my arm and they questioned me. It was a terrible fight to clear my action," said Akhtar, whose action was also questioned in 2001 and 2002 before it was cleared on medical grounds.

Next came ball tampering charges.

After receiving a severe reprimand in Zimbabwe at the end of 2002, Akhtar was caught gouging the ball by television cameras, leading to a two-match ban during a tri-series in Sri Lanka.

He was back on a high when he launched the fastest electronically measured ball ever bowled -- at a speed of 100.23mph (161.3kmh) -- against England in February 2003 at the World Cup in South Africa.

Then during the winter of 2004 he had to defend himself against reports of a visit to a disco and pictures with girls which appeared in the media during Pakistan's disappointing tour of Australia.

After a warning from former captain Imran Khan to improve his fitness, Akhtar's reward was 17 wickets and praise even from his adversaries in Pakistan's 2-0 home Test series victory over Ashes-winning England last year.

However, the stormclouds gathered again as he underwent twin knee operations in February this year and then broke down with an ankle injury, forcing him to miss Pakistan's Test series in England.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)