Shoaib Akhtar reveals biggest Mohammad Asif regret and it involves hitting him with a bat

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar is widely hailed as one of the fastest bowlers to have ever graced the game. Despite enjoying a decorated career (444 wickets) during his 14-year international run, the cricketer often landed himself in controversial situations. One of such controversies occurred back in August 2007, when he was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for five matches for allegedly hitting then teammate Mohammad Asif with the bat in the dressing room.

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Shoaib Akhtar 2007 World T20 controversy: Cricketer recalls ‘regret’

Quite recently, Shoaib Akhtar stated that he should have hit his ex-teammate Mohammad Asif twice during their 2007 altercation. As quoted by Khel Shel on their Twitter account, the veteran speedster admitted the same because he believes that Asif “wasted” his bowling talents.

Mohammad Asif played 23 Tests, 38 ODIs and 11 T20Is for Pakistan since making his international debut in 2005. In 2010, he was banned for five years by the PCB for his involvement in the spot-fixing scandal during a Test series in England. Despite being at the centre of many controversies, Asif proved to be a gifted swing bowler with batsmen like Kevin Pietersen and Hashim Amla describing him as one of the best fast bowlers they have ever encountered.

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Shoaib Akhtar 2007 World T20 controversy: Speedster slams Mohammad Asif for “wasting” talent

I should have hit @MuhammadAsif_26 with bat twice because of his acts, he wasted such a great fast bowler himself - @shoaib100mph #Cricket #Pakistan #MohammadAsif #ShoaibAkhtar #PCB #RawalpindiExpress #Legend pic.twitter.com/ublrioGpZX

— Khel Shel (@khelshel) November 21, 2020

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Mohammad Asif during 2007 World T20

The Shoaib Akhtar 2007 World T20 controversy prompted the PCB to remove the speedster from Pakistan’s World Cup squad. Mohammad Asif, on the other hand, played the entire tournament for his national side.

Asif collected 10 wickets in the tournament, including his career-best figures of 4-18 against India in a high-profile Group D game. Under the leadership of newly-appointed captain Shoaib Malik, the ‘Men in Green’ reached the final where they once again faced India (led by MS Dhoni). In the final, Mohammad Asif took 1-25 off his three overs and also scored some handy runs during Pakistan’s run-chase, however, it was the MS Dhoni-led India side which emerged victorious to lift the maiden World T20 title.

Mohammad Asif in action against India in 2007 T20 World Cup, watch video

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Image source: Shoaib Akhtar Twitter and AP