Pakistan’s bowling legend Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday playfully hit back at longtime Indian rival Virender Sehwag for once saying that the Rawalpindi Express’ frequent shower of praise for Indian players are delivered deliberately to “rack up fame and money”.
Akhtar, on his YouTube channel, responded to the video of Sehwag which, though old, was trending again for reasons unknown.
The world’s fastest bowler termed Sehwag’s jibe as “light-hearted” banter while also casually quelling the claims as well as issuing a dig of himself.
Akhtar said that the old video had been taken out of context as the former Indian batsman had spoken these words “in a light-heartened way.”
He also took a jibe at the critic saying he has “more money than Sehwag has hair on his head”.
Akhtar also identified multiple prominent names of Pakistan cricket who have given India credit when it’s due.
“Just tell me one Pakistan YouTuber who does not praise India when their team does well. Ramiz Raja, Shahid Afridi all praise the Indian side when they do well. Tell me one thing, isn’t it right that the Men in Blue are in fact the number one side in the world; isn’t it right that Kohli is the number one batsman in the world,” he said.
“I do think that there is a factor of jealousy, and I have been targeted time and time again. We are already politically divided but now people want to divide cricket as well,” he added.
