Shoaib Akhtar to retire after World Cup

Shoaib Akhtar will retire from the international game at the end of Pakistan's World Cup, bringing to a close one of cricket's most compelling and mercurial careers. Privately, over the last few months, Shoaib had been looking at the World Cup as a final hurrah for a body increasingly unable to cope with the rigours of the international game.

"Today I step ahead for the most significant phase of my life and walk off," he read out from a prepared statement. "I have decided to say goodbye. This World Cup is my last and the coming matches in the tournament would be the last few of my international career. Mentally I wanted to continue perhaps forever. But I must make way for youngsters to take over."

The best Shoaib bowled to

• "I wouldn't say I enjoyed bowling against them but they are my very top of the favourites. Inzamam is there. I loved bowling against [Adam] Gilchrist, I loved to hate him but he was very tough. Ricky Ponting was another great. This guy not only played, but he won matches, he had so much ability. I really wish to see him play for another few years for Australia. Then my favourite, Brian Lara, who was so elegant I lost myself in his elegance. I only bowled three balls to him, and they were my favourite three balls, but I felt very sad when I hit him and he had to leave the ground. But these are the players I really, really enjoyed bowling against. I wish I could, but it's my good luck that I never bowled to that guy Viv Richards. That is my good luck."

Shoaib Akhtar seemed to run in quicker and bowl faster after making his decision.

• Towards the end, there was the distinct possibility of tears - "do you want me to cry?" he asked when translating his thoughts into Urdu - but he held them back. "Playing for Pakistan was a dream. Yes, it was a dream," he said and then walked off, to hugs and handshakes all around.