Harbhajan Singh opens up about Shoaib Akhtar 'bashing' him and Yuvraj Singh on his own

Veteran Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh is widely regarded as one of the finest off-spinners India has ever produced. The 103-Test veteran has stockpiled 711 international wickets since making his debut in 1998. Harbhajan Singh was also an aggressive man on the field who engaged in several on-field tussles with numerous rivals throughout his journey in cricket. Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar was one of those players who locked horns with ‘The Turbanator’ on more than one occasion.

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Harbhajan Singh talks about tussle with Shoaib Akhtar

In an appearance on Aap Ki Adalat with Rajat Sharma in 2016, Harbhajan Singh revealed that Shoaib Akhtar once “bashed” him and his then-teammate Yuvraj Singh inside their room during India’s tour of Pakistan in 2004. The off-spinner said that while he shares a great bond with Akhtar, he described the speedster as a “great hulk” who was “heavy and difficult to catch”.

Their on-field rivalry continued with their clash during an India vs Pakistan match at the 2010 Asia Cup. Harbhajan Singh said that during the match, Shoaib Akhtar challenged him to hit a six off his bowling. When he managed to do so, he stated that the speedster was “shocked” and hurled back-to-back bouncers at him. According to Harbhajan Singh, Shoaib Akhtar then abused him to which he replied in fitting fashion. The 2011 World Cup-winning cricketer revealed that Akhtar also threatened him that he would come to his room again but to “beat” him up this time. Even though Harbhajan Singh replied back “let’s see who beats whom”, he admitted to being “really scared” at the time.

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Harbhajan Singh vs Shoaib Akhtar in Asia Cup 2010, watch video

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Shoaib Akhtar’s take on collision with Harbhajan Singh

Later, Shoaib Akhtar admitted to pulling off a verbal tug on Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh during the Rawalpindi Test in 2004. However, he maintained that it was all done in a friendly manner. According to Akhtar, the three cricketers were just “horsing around” at the time and he considers both Harbhajan and Yuvraj as his “younger brothers”. Interestingly, the Indian spinner also appeared on Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel in 2019 where the two cricketers were seen having a friendly interaction.

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Image credits: PTI, Shoaib Akhtar Youtube