Shoaib Akhtar is one of the best express pacers of all time. He bullied several great batsmen with his raw pace in international cricket. The former Pakistan pacer gained the limelight for the first time when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid on back to back balls at Eden Gardens in 1998.
Rawalpindi express also has the record of bowling the fastest delivery ever in the history of International Cricket. In a Sportskeeda video, Shoaib Akhtar revealed how Wasim Akram helped him plan for the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar. Akram advised him to keep the ball in line with the stumps.
Shoaib Akhtar also revealed that Wasim advised to bowl reverse swing. Akhtar said, “When Sachin was getting ready to take a strike, Wasim Akram advised me to bowl reverse swing. He told me to ensure that the ball ends up in line with the stumps after pitching.”
“Initially, I was very anxious about getting him out. But when I started running in, I was completely focussed as I wanted to get my run-up completely right – whether it was my jump or my bowling action,” Akhtar added.
“The moment Sachin lifted bat, I knew he was out” – Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar further said that he knew Sachin Tendulkar would get out on that ball. Akhtar added, “The moment Sachin lifted his bat, I knew he was out. His backlift was really high and I knew the ball was reverse-swinging a lot. I wasn’t surprised with the result since I had planned the delivery.”
Shoaib Akhtar also revealed an interesting conversation with Saqlain Mushtaq.” I was speaking to Saqlain Mushtaq and I asked him who the crowds were referring to as the ‘God of Cricket’. So he told me that in India, Tendulkar is considered God. My instant reply was – what if I get him out? He reminded me that he had dismissed Tendulkar in the last two Tests. So, we got into a friendly banter over who would get Sachin out,” Shoaib said.
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