Published 17:15 IST, August 17th 2020
Shoaib Akhtar mocks Indian tailenders over being scared of facing him in his prime
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was one of the quickest bowlers of his time, who gave nightmares to batsmen from all over the world.
Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was one of the quickest bowlers of his time, who gave nightmares to batsmen from all over the world. With his lethal pace and swing, he wreaked havoc during his peak. The 'Rawalpindi Express' was deadly with his bouncers and had hit several batsmen on their helmets. This is something which not only Indian top-order batsmen, but even lower-order batsmen faced as per the fast bowler.
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Shoaib Akhtar reveals how Muttiah Muralitharan and Indian tailenders feared him
Recently, Shoaib Akhtar revealed how Indian tailenders would plead him to get them out but not hit them. While speaking on the YouTube show CricCast, Shoaib Akhtar said even when he was playing for Worcester in English county cricket, a lot of players got hit by his ball which made him feel that he had done something wrong. However, he said he didn't understand why he was so mean to the batsmen.
Shoaib Akhtar further said that there were a lot of players like Muttiah Muralitharan and Indian tailenders, who used to ask him to get them out but not hit them as it would hit them hard. He revealed that these batsmen used to say that they have wife and kids and that their parents wouldn’t like it.
Shoaib Akhtar has an impressive record against India across formats. The former Pakistan pacer played against India in 10 Tests where he bagged 28 wickets and dismissed the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. The 45-year-old played against India in 28 ODIs and grabbed 41 wickets.
Shoaib Akhtar also recalled an incident when he had warned Gary Kirsten to not hook him. He added that he told Gary Kirsten not to do it as a 36-year-old to the fastest bowler in the world. However, Akhtar said that Kirsten didn't listen and ended up getting hit extremely hard. Shoaib Akhtar reckoned that even today whenever the South African meets him, he shows the mark under his eyes as a souvenir from his side.
MS Dhoni retirement: Shoaib Akhtar heaps praise galore on the CSK captain
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar was also quick to tweet and wish MS Dhoni on his retirement from international cricket. Shoaib Akhtar heaped praised on the CSK captain and also mentioned that he’d come up with a video tribute for the former Indian skipper. And in no time, the 'Rawalpindi Express' has come up with a video where he spoke in length about MS Dhoni and lauded several qualities that the 2011 World Cup-winning captain possesses.
At the start of the video, Shoaib Akhtar said "Ek zamaane ka naam Dhoni, ek era ka naam Dhoni and ek achche insaan ka naam Dhoni". Shoaib Akhtar further pointed out five great qualities of the cricketer, calling him a match-winner, a great captain and a humble person. Shoaib Akhtar also mentioned that MS Dhoni is one of the nicest people he ever came across.
Shoaib Akhtar went on to recall several wonderful moments from MS Dhoni’s career. He remembered the 2006 incident involving MS Dhoni, which involved former Pakistan premier Pervez Musharraf publicly requesting MS Dhoni not to cut his long hair, which was extremely popular back then. Shoaib Akhtar lauded the Ranchi lad's cricketing sense and said that it was this that set him apart from the other cricketers. The Pakistan international even said that no other captain might ever achieve what Dhoni achieved as a captain. Shoaib Akhtar reckoned that Dhoni deserves all the glory and admiration.
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IMAGE COURTESY: SHOAIB AKHTAR TWITTER
Updated 17:31 IST, August 17th 2020