I wanted to get him out on the first ball and that happened: Shoaib Akhtar on his first encounter with Sachin Tendulkar

By the time Akhtar made his debut for Pakistan, Sachin had already earned the tag of 'God of Cricket' by fans.

Narrating his Test experience of bowling to Sachin in his maiden Test against India in Kolkata in 1999, Akhtar said he was pumped up to rattle the cricketing legend.

In an interview with Pakistani news channel ARY News, Akhtar said: "I heard Sachin was the god. I said this is a god? Iss ki khairiyat nahi. He didn't recognise me, and I didn't recognize him. He was in his own attitude and I was in my attitude. But I wanted to get him out on the first ball and that happened."

Sachin Tendulkar was scared to face Shoaib Akhtar: Shahid Afridi makes another sensational remark

Akhtar - who had earned a reputation of being a fiery pacer - had clean bowled Sachin on the very first delivery he bowled to him. The 'Rawalpindi Express' also claimed the wickets of VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid in he first innings. He finished with figures of 4/71 in the first innings and returned with another four-wicket haul in the second innings as Pakistan defeated the hosts by 46 runs.

In the interview, Akhta also rejected former India opener Virender Sehwag's 'baap baap hota hai, aur beta beta' jibe during an ODI match between the arch-rivals.

Sharing an on-field incident with Akhtar, Sehwag told Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan during an award show how he silenced the Pakistani speedster with his witty response.

In the award show which was also attended by Pakistani cricketers, Sehwag claimed how Akhtar continuously challenged him to hook his bouncers and when the 'Nawab of Najafgarh' got irritated he told him to bowl a bouncer to Tendulkar and he would hook him.

"Woh tera baap khada hai wo non-striking end pe, uss ko bol woh mar ke dikhayega. Non-striker end pe Tendulkar tha. Next over mai jab usne Tendulkar ko bouncer mara toh usne chakka mara, maine kaha beta beta hota hai aur baap baap hota hai," Sehwag told Shah Rukh.

Reacting on Sehwag's statement, Akhtar said: "Would he survive after saying something like that to me? Would I leave him? I would beat him up at the ground and then at the hotel. The story has been made up."

Get breaking news alerts.

Allow Notifications

You have already subscribed

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Via https://www.mykhel.com/cricket/shoaib-akhtar-reveals-his-first-encounter-with-sachin-tendulkar-148615.html?utm_source=/rss/sports-cricket-fb.xml&utm_medium=2.16.110.190&utm_campaign=client-rss