'Some spells pushed him on backfoot:' Afridi claims Tendulkar was 'scared' of Akhtar

Reiterating his claims, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has remarked that Sachin Tendulkar will never admit himself that he was 'scared' of Shoaib Akhtar. Afridi stated that 'some spells' from Shoaib Akhtar have pushed some of the world's best including Tendulkar on to the backfoot. Earlier in 2011, in his book, the former skipper had claimed that the Indian great was 'scared' to face the Rawalpindi Express and that he has seen it himself. 

During an Instagram live session on Sunday, Afridi remarked that Sachin Tendulkar will never admit it himself that he was scared. He added that when he was fielding at mid-off or covers, he could 'sense' the body language of a player. "You can easily understand that a batsman is under pressure, he is not at his usual best. I’m not saying that Shoaib has scared Tendulkar always but there have been some spells from Shoaib that have pushed some of the world’s best including Tendulkar on to the back foot," the former Pakistan skipper said. 

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In his book 'Controversially Yours' in 2011, Afridi had stated that when he was fielding at square leg when he saw Sachin Tendulkar's legs 'trembling' when Shoaib Akhtar came to bowl. However, Afridi did not specify the match he was referring to. He had also claimed that he had seen the Indian great 'feel scared' to face spinner Saeed Ajmal during the World Cup. 

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Sachin-Shoaib battle 

The rivalry between Sachin Tendulkar and Pakistan's Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar has often delighted fans. The duo had first clashed during the 1999 Asian Test Championship where Akhtar had got the better of Little Master on his very first bowl. However, the Indian came back stronger in the next battle which was one of the most epic ones as he ran a riot against Pakistan during the 2003 World Cup smashing 98 runs from 75 balls itself. Over the years, the veteran cricketers encountered each other several times but whenever they clashed, sheer competition and the determination to come out on top was witnessed.

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