Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has revealed that the 2011 World Cup Semi-final against India still haunts him. He expressed that if he had gotten an opportunity in that match, he would have dismissed both the Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
Shoaib Akhtar, who was in the twilight of his career in 2011, revealed that he wanted to play the semi-final against India. The Indian openers made valuable contributions in the match. Sehwag slammed a quick-fire 38 and Sachin scored 85 runs and won the Player of the Match.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, Shoaib Akhtar expressed that he would have dismissed both the batters in the 2011 World Cup semifinal. He said,
“Mohali’s memory haunts me, the 2011 World Cup semifinal. I knew India was under tremendous pressure as 1.3 billion people and the media were all over them. So then we were underdogs and we shouldn’t have taken pressure. I was so sad because if I had played that game, I would have taken down Sehwag and Sachin. I knew if we hold these two players from the top, India will collapse.”
“I only know how I spent those six hours seeing Pakistan losing. I am not the kind of a person who cries but I break things. So I broke a few things in the dressing room. I was so furious and disappointed and so was my whole nation. It was a game of the first ten overs.”, he added.
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I wanted the Pakistan flag to fly high at Wankhede: Shoaib Akhtar opens up about the 2011 World Cup semi-final
Former pacer, Shoaib Akhtar further expressed that he was disappointed when Pakistan’s management declared him unfit. He added that wanted to see Pakistan lift the World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium.
“They should have played me. The management didn’t play me and that was unfair to me. I just had these two matches with me and I wanted the Pakistan flag to fly high at Wankhede. They told me I was unfit, but I bowled eight overs in the warm-up. I was very hurt by that.”
The Indian team defeated Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup semi-final by 29 runs. They went on to win the 2011 World Cup title at the Wankhede Stadium beating Sri Lanka by six wickets.
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