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Cricket Players'Things heated up a bit...': Kamran Akmal recalls his Asia Cup feud with Gautam Gambhir
Akmal, who featured in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is, last played for Pakistan in 2017 in the white-ball formats.
A chatterbox behind the stumps, Pakistan's wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal was involved in a heated on-field altercation with Gautam Gambhir. It was over a decade ago, during an Asia Cup clash between the arch-rivals when tempers flared the two players who don't shy away from expressing their emotions.
Akmal was a regular part of the Pakistan side that clashed with the Indian team on a regular basis in the first decade of the 21st century. His career witnessed several on-field bust-ups with Indian players. Akmal also had a similar exchange with pacer Ishant Sharma in a T20 International at Bengaluru back in 2012-13.
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The 40-year-old stumper has recalled the scuffle against Indian players, saying that things got more heated with Gambhir due to "misunderstandings." In a video shared by Legends League Cricket (LLC) on their social media, Akmal clarified that he now shares a healthy relationship with Gambhir and Ishant as well.
"Things heated up a bit with Gautam Gambhir during the 2010 Asia Cup but it was all due to misunderstandings. He is a very good friend. We have played a lot of 'A' cricket together. There is no such rivalry with Ishant Sharma too," said the Pakistan veteran.
Akmal, who featured in 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is, last played for Pakistan in 2017 in the white-ball formats. He is currently a part of the Aisa Lions camp in the Legends League Cricket (LLC).
Akmal last year had withdrawn from the 2022 PSL edition after protesting his relegation to the silver category during the players draft. The second-highest run-getter in PSL history with two hundreds, Akmal had said on his YouTube channel that he didn’t want to play for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL 7.
But the Peshawar franchise ironed out the differences to avail Akmal's services for the season. "For me self-respect is foremost and it's not about money," Akmal had told ESPNcricinfo.
"Had it (been) about more money I could have left Zalmi long ago but they are like a family and I never imagined leaving them. It's the process that basically was surprising and how the board disregards the senior cricketers."
Akmal was ruled out of the Peshawar-based outfit's opening game of the season due to coronavirus, where they recorded a five-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators at the National Stadium, Karachi.
