‘Would he survive after saying like that to me’ – Shoaib Akhtar on sledging incident with Virender Sehwag

Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistan fast bowler, has rubbished the rumours that Virender Sehwag once sledged him. Quite a few years ago, the retired Indian batsman had narrated an incident on television where he and the Rawalpindi Express were involved in an altercation. However, the credibility of the same has remained doubtful during these times.

As per Sehwag, Shoaib was peppering him with bouncers, asking him to churn out the hook shot. The Nawab of Najafgarh then tried to turn the tables, telling the Pakistan speedster to bowl a bouncer at the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“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),” Sehwag was reported to have said.

“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).”

There was no such thing said to me, says Shoaib Akhtar

However, Shoaib was clear-curt in saying that no such conversation of that sorts took place. He also said how he would have reacted had Sehwag pulled out those words in real.

“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,” Shoaib was quoted as saying during a chat show called Extra Innings on ARYNews.

Shoaib’s words can’t be denied by any means. During the 2004 Multan Test where Sehwag scored 309, Sachin scored 194, but didn’t hit a six. Then in 2005, Sehwag notched 201 and Sachin managed only 41 with seven fours.

In 2006, Sehwag again scored 254 against Pakistan at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. But Sachin didn’t get a chance bat in that match. Both Sehwag and Shoaib have come face to face plenty of times and their rivalry managed to enthrall one and all.