Shoaib Akhtar reveals Matthew Hayden's 'C-grade Actor' comment nearly got them to blows

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar is one of the fastest pacers ever to grace the game. By clocking 100.2 mph (161.3 kmph) at the 2003 World Cup, he is credited for bowling the fastest-ever delivery to be recorded in international cricket. Quite recently, Shoaib Akhtar shared a candid interaction he had with former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff through his YouTube channel.

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Shoaib Akhtar opens up on rivalry with Matthew Hayden

Speaking with Andrew Flintoff in a YouTube video, Shoaib Akhtar recalled a moment from the 2003 ICC Cricket World Cup where he got into a fight with former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden. Akhtar said that Hayden called him a ‘C-grade actor’ and a ‘low-grade fast bowler’ even though the Australian did not know much about the speedster at the time. The legendary pacer also recalled his own reply to Matthew Hayden where he said “I am going to get you” in the match. Shoaib Akhtar added that there came a time when the two got into a fight and had to be pulled apart.

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Shoaib Akhtar also credited Matthew Hayden’s boldness while facing him. The pacer recalled that he struck the opening batsman some five times in a space of three overs during one of the Test matches from their years of competitive cricket. However, Akhtar was shocked to see that the batsman “never moved an inch”.

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Matthew Hayden in IPL for CSK

A few years later, both Shoaib Akhtar and Matthew Hayden went on to play in the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL) for their respective franchises. Matthew Hayden represented Chennai Super Kings (CSK) between 2008 and 2010 editions of IPL. In his final outing for CSK in 2010, the Australian opening batsman lifted the IPL trophy under the leadership of MS Dhoni.

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