Ponting reveals fastest spell ever faced

Ricky Ponting was the fearless Australian cricketing great who took on the world's fastest bowlers with the hook and pull.

But even he could admit when a bowler was sending down some serious heat.

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After last week declaring Andrew Flintoff's over of reverse swing during the 2005 Ashes as the best he faced, Australia's leading Test run scorer named the fasted spell he endured during his 168-Test career.

It came from the hand of Pakistani tearaway Shoaib Akhtar on a fast and bouncy WACA pitch in 1999.

"Got plenty of questions the other day after calling the Flintoff over the best I'd faced. This from @shoaib100mph was the fastest spell I'd ever faced and trust me Justin wasn't backing up too far at the other end," Ponting tweeted.

Incredibly, the searing spell of bowling came with Ponting on 179 having guided Australia from trouble at 4-54 to a position of dominance. He would go on to make 197 alongside Justin Langer who notched 144.

Akhtar was one of the fastest bowlers ever to grace a cricket field, regularly delivering the ball at speeds well in excess of 150kmp/h.

His battle with Australian spearhead Brett Lee for the title of world's fastest bowler was one of the gripping battles in Test cricket during the early 2000s.

Originally published as Ponting reveals fastest spell ever faced