“Shoaib Akhtar came to Australia as the fastest bowler alive and left with his reputation intact. In fact, Shoaib left Australia with a new found respect from the Australian public and batsmen alike and, perhaps, fear as the deadliest one-day bowler in world cricket,” Eddie Smith wrote in his assessment of Pakistan's enigmatic superstar.

It was 2002 and Pakistan flew into Australia for an ODI bout dubbed the Super Challenge II. Australia were extending its dominance over world cricket and for many, Pakistan remained the top contender to bring them down to earth.

For fans in Pakistan, the indoor series, hosted by Brisbane and Melbourne, presented an opportunity to exact revenge for the 1999 World Cup final defeat to Australia. For Akhtar it was a chance to redeem himself after suspicions about his action and the emergence of Brett Lee as his rival in the pace game.

Australia defeated Pakistan in the first game of the three-match series by seven wickets. But Pakistan, spurred by Akhtar's fire, came back in great style to take the series 2-1.

As Akhtar turn 40 today, here's a look at one of this most memorable spells in ODI cricket.

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