The Rawalpindi Express may have only arrived in the city late this evening, but Kolkata is already swinging to the tune of the popular Pakistani fast bowler.

And the fresh wave of madness and euphoria surrounding the tear-away fast bowler couldn’t have come at a better time, with the Sourav Ganguly-led team desperately looking to get back to winning ways after a string of defeats in the ongoing Twenty20 carnival.

Shoaib, who was yesterday cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play in the IPL after being slapped with a 5-year ban earlier, naturally made a hurried dash to the city, flying down to Kolkata this evening after stopping over in Delhi, via Lahore.

The fast bowler himself made all the right noises after landing. “Eden Gardens is my favourite ground. I am proud to be back here. Eden Gardens has made me Shoaib Akhtar, when I took two wickets in two balls to dismiss Dravid and Tendulkar in the 1999 Test match,” he told reporters in Kolkata.

“I am happy to be in India. I am looking forward to play in the IPL and play my role for my team,” Akhtar said, even as he thanked Kolkata franchise-owner Shah Rukh Khan for his support. “I am grateful to the people of India for embracing me, especially (team owner) Shah Rukh Khan who supported me.

Shaking off the rust

Akhtar, who has been completely out of action since February this year — when he went wicketless for the Federal Areas team against Punjab in the Pentangular Cup tournament in Lahore — has bowled just 18 overs since the third Test in Bangalore against India in December last year.

Shoaib admitted he would have to train hard and acclimatise soon to make an impact. “I have not played cricket for four months. I have to acclimatise with the conditions and train hard. I want to do my bit for my team,” he said.