Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has revealed that he was never scared of bowling to India’s Sachin Tendulkar and in fact, it was Australia’s Adam Gilchrist and Brian Lara from the West Indies who intimidated him during his peak years in international cricket.
“Sachin would never scare me. Guys like Gilchrist and Lara would scare the hell out of me,” he said.
However, Shoaib said that he has great respect for Sachin as he believes that the Indian batsman is a great cricketer.
Akhtar praising Gilchrist admitted that he was awestruck by the persona of the Aussie and would not know where to bowl at him. Akhtar has been recorded to have bowled the fastest delivery in the world of cricket that clocked at 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph).
The flamboyant pacer said that had Pakistan’s legendary all-rounder Imran Khan been playing during his time he would have become a better bowler and an improved individual as well. Akhtar revealed that he has always idealised the victorious skipper of Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup triumph.
He expressed a desire to follow in the footsteps of his idol after retirement by building a hospital in Islamabad (Imran after his retirement built a cancer hospital in Pakistan which was Pakistan’s first hospital cancer hospital at the time of its construction).
Speaking on his constrained relationship with the Pakistan Cricket Board, he blamed the system by which the board was being run. According to the speedster, the system made him an “anti-establishment” man.
Over the period of his blistering career, he was marred by injuries which kept him out of the national team. In the interview, he admitted that he was never the fittest of players but was always willing to play for his team even in pain.
“There have been days when five syringes would be inserted on each of my knees to draw out fluid. I would scream with pain because my knees would be swollen like melons and I would feel that someone was ripping off my thigh muscles. But next day, I would go there and fire the ball at close to 150 kmph or more,” he said while talking about his injuries.
Akhtar reiterated that there were many times in his career when he thought he will not be able to make a comeback and should retire but he never gave up and managed to bounce back better than before every time.
The pacer on numerous occasions was caught up in off-field controversies which landed him in trouble with the management, however, over the course of time he feels he has matured and learned to stay away from trouble.
Nevertheless, he reiterated that he played for Pakistan with his head held high. He pointed out the fact that he was never involved in a controversy regarding match-fixing as he would never indulge in practices that would cast a bad name on his country and on the sport itself.
Akhtar announced his retirement on Thursday in Sri Lanka where he is with the Pakistan team taking part in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2011.
