'I'd have dismissed Sachin, Sehwag and India would've collapsed' - Shoaib Akhtar rues Pakistan's 2011 WC loss against India

India lifted the coveted World Cup Trophy in 2011, and even after a decade of that triumph, the memories live fresh in the minds of the players and fans alike. But for former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar, the tournament ended in a nightmare, and he admitted that the memories of the 2011 World Cup still torment him.

The Indians lifted the trophy after a wait of 28 long years under the mercurial leadership of MS Dhoni. The Men in Blue won the tournament by defeating Sri Lanka, but the victory against arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-finals made the historic journey even more memorable.

Dhoni‘s men hosted Pakistan at the Mohali stadium in a crunch semi-final clash that was graced by the Prime ministers of both the nations. But there was an important name missing from Pakistan’s starting XI as a certain Shoaib Akthar was deemed unfit to play the match.

Akthar termed the decision to leave him out of the team as “unfair”, as he not only wanted to win the match but desired to go all the way in the tournament and see the Pakistani flag hosted at the Wankhede after the final. The former speedster said that India were under immense pressure due to the expectations of the home crowd.

“Mohali memory haunts me…that 2011 World Cup semi-final. They should have played me, they should have. It was completely unfair to the team management. I knew that I had just two matches left, and I had this desire that at Wankhede the Pakistan flag is held high and the team is playing the final. I knew that India was under immense pressure. The entire nation and the media were looking up to the team, which means we were the underdogs. So I believed that we shouldn’t have taken the pressure,” he told Sportskeeda.

India would’ve collapsed if Sachin and Sehwag were dismissed early: Shoaib Akhtar

Indian posted 260/9 on the back of Sachin Tendulkar’s masterful 85. The Pakistani team started the chase well but faltered at the crucial stages and got bundled out for 231. Akhtar recalled watching the painful loss from the dugout and admitted to breaking a few things in the dressing room in frustration.

The former speedster believes that he could’ve made the difference by dismissing the pivotal figures of Sachin and Virender Sehwag in the opening ten overs of the semi-final.

“I would have dismissed Sachin and Sehwag. India would have collapsed if Sachin and Sehwag were dismissed early. I was really really hurt. So see that match for 5-6 hours and watch Pakistan lose from the dugout…I am not the kind of person who cries but I’m the kind of person who breaks things. And I did break a few things in the dressing room because I was so sad, disappointed, and furious, and so was the entire nation,” Akhtar added.