Wasim Akram sends heart-warming message to Sachin Tendulkar wishing for his speedy recovery
Wasim Akram, who played against Sachin Tendulkar for years and formed a healthy rivalry with him during the 1990s, tweeted a heart-warming wish to the India great, hoping for him to make a speedy recovery.
Shortly after Sachin Tendulkar announced that he was hospitalised as part of a precautionary measure following his diagnosis of Covid-19, his long-time rival Wasim Akram wished the former India captain a speedy recovery. Akram, who played against Tendulkar for years and formed a healthy rivalry with him during the 1990s, tweeted a heart-warming wish to the India great, hoping for him to make a speedy recovery.
"Even when you were 16, you battled world’s best bowlers with guts and aplomb... so I am sure you will hit Covid-19 for a SIX! Recover soon master! Would be great if you celebrate India’s World Cup 2011 anniversary with doctors and hospital staff... do send me a pic," Akram tweeted.
Tendulkar broke the news of being hospitalised on April 2, 2021, 10 years to the day India won the 2011 World Cup, in which the batsman emerged the second-highest run-scorer behind Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Surprisingly, Akram and Tendulkar faced each other only in seven Tests during the 14 years they played competitive cricket together. Akram bowled to Tendulkar during his debut series in 1989, after which he had to wait for another 10 years to have a crack at the former India batsman in Tests, during Pakistan's tour of India in 1999. However, in ODIs, Akram and Tendulkar would go on to battle each other on numerous occasions, including the 1999 and 2003 World Cup matches.
Last year, Akram, in an interview with former Pakistan teammate Basit Ali, had said that he rated Tendulkar fifth in his list of top batsmen, behind Viv Richards, Martin Crowe, Brian Lara and Inzamam-Ul-Haq. “I am keeping Tendulkar aside from this list because we didn’t play Test cricket against him for 10 years. Waqar and I didn’t bowl to him for ten years in Test matches. He came to Pakistan in 1989 as a 16-year-old and after that we played against him in 1999,” Akram had said.
“I bowled at him at Sharjah in ODIs but Test cricket is different. No doubt he is one of the greats of the game but as a bowler I didn’t bowl to him in my peak and that is why it is difficult for me to judge him.”
