The sledging incidents between India and Pakistan are nothing less than some of the epic encounters on the field. Years ago, Virender Sehwag had narrated on television about an incident involving him, Shoaib Akhtar and Sachin Tendulkar, even though its credibility factor has remained low over the years.
Sehwag’s exact words to Akhtar, as per his claims were: “I was batting close to 200 vs Pakistan. Shoaib was bowling plenty of bouncers and taunting me to hit a hook shot. When I realised that he is going to continue this, I pointed to Sachin Tendulkar at the other end and said ‘That’s your father standing there, bowl to him, he will hit you’ (Woh toh tera baap khada hai, usko daal woh maarega). Shoaib did just that and Sachin dispatched him into the stands. That’s when I told him ‘Beta beta hota hai, baap baap hota hai’ (Son cannot dominate the father).”
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Akhtar has finally revealed whether such an incident actually took place. During a chat show called Extra Innings on ARYNews, Akhtar stated that Sehwag never said anything like that to him and whatever the former India opening batsman said was all in jest. Akhtar added that had something like that been said to him, he would not have let Sehwag escape and in fact, dish out a beating to him twice.
{{/usCountry}}Akhtar has finally revealed whether such an incident actually took place. During a chat show called Extra Innings on ARYNews, Akhtar stated that Sehwag never said anything like that to him and whatever the former India opening batsman said was all in jest. Akhtar added that had something like that been said to him, he would not have let Sehwag escape and in fact, dish out a beating to him twice.
{{/usCountry}}“Never, there was no such thing said to me. 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,” Akhtar replied on being asked whether the incident ever took place.
It is hard to argue with Akhtar. The only time Sehwag was batting close to 200 was during the India-Pakistan Test in Multan, in which Tendulkar scored an unbeaten 195 but his knock did not include a single six. Two years later, Sehwag scored 254 against Pakistan, but in that innings, Tendulkar did not get a chance to bat. In 2007, Sehwag scored another double century against Pakistan, but again, Shoaib wasn’t part of the match.