He can sniff out a party a thousand miles away. He is as unrestrained off the track as he is on it. He is the kind of dashing showman that sport's general culture of relentlessness badly needs.

``People say I'm arrogant on the field,'' he said. ``I have to be arrogant. Otherwise I'm not aggressive, and that's from where my pace comes through. I'm playing for my country. It's my job to be aggressive and arrogant. I want to entertain too. But once I'm away from the game, I like to be sociable and make friends.''

He played for Strabane at 7,500 pounds sterling (about Rs 5.4 lakh) last summer in Northern Ireland. ``I have hardly slept for the last six months. I'm going back there to relax a few weeks straight after the final,'' he said.

Shoaib was just a teenager bowling tennis ball when in late 1996 he was spotted by the president ofthe Rawalpindi Cricket Association and invited to play in the Quaid-E-Azam Trophy. He took 69 wickets in the first season and also blitzed seven of the New Zealand tourists out in a practice game.

``That was when I realised I was quick,'' he said. Akhtar toured England with the Pakistan `A' team the following year. His first over on tour, at Trent Bridge, was wild -- containing four no-balls and costing 17 runs -- and so was some of his behaviour.

Perpetual late nights gave him, despite several devastating spells, a poor tour report which, when properly scrutinised by the national selectors, caused him to be dropped from a Pakistan one-day international squad for which he had been picked for.

He eventually made his Test debut at the end of 1997 against the West Indies and fully redeemed himself with tremendous bowling in South Africa in early 1998.

Akhtar looks a terrifying sight when running in to the batsman that is. ``You know I watch myself on TV and I don't believe it. I never thought I lookedlike that.''

Though Imran Khan and Wasim Akram are around, Akhtar's hero is Waqar Younis. ``I really idolise him, I love the way he runs, the way he bowls, the way he talks. I always respect him. He's helped me a lot.

``And now,'' he adds with a mischievous grin. ``I'm going to beat him.'' He also wears the boots Waqar uses -- handmade and costing 400 pounds (about Rs 28,000) a pair.

He remembers watching the 1992 World Cup final. ``Wasim was really bowling quick and I was thinking, God he is so quick. Then I listened to Imran's winning speech, holding the Cup in the twilight of his career, and I thought, he is so handsome. I also thought I would love to be a little part of that next time, help to do it the way they did it.

``I'm still trying my best to break the 100m barrier. But much more important than that, I just want to go out and do the job for my team.''

Glenn McGrath, his pace rival for in the World Cup final, said, ``Shoaib's a bit like when he started. The raw talent is there, but he isgaining the experience of knowing what do in different situations, and that counts.

``While he is young and fit at the moment, he is letting it all go but I can't see him doing it like that in three or four years' time. Things happen in your career, like injuries that you must adjust to.''