Don’t Hit Us, We Have Families: Shoaib Akhtar Recalls Indian Tailenders Pleaded For Mercy
Aug 20, 2020 at 1:56 PM
Shoaib Akhtar was among one of the fastest bowlers that the cricket world has ever witnessed. The batsman indeed used to fear his bouncers and sheer pace. The former Pakistan cricketer also holds the record of bowling the fastest delivery at the speed of 161.3 km/h during the World Cup 2003 against England.
During the recent conversation with Pakistani presenter Sawera Pasha on her Youtube show– ‘Cric Cast’, Shoaib Akhtar named the batsmen whom he had hurt with his bowling. Then former bowler revealed the story that he had warned Gary Kirsten to not try to hit pull shot against him. But the batsman didn’t listen and got hit by the pacer’s bouncer.
“I had told Gary not to attempt the pull against me. I kept telling him don’t try it against the world’s fastest bowler. But he didn’t listen and was hit really hard. Whenever he meets me he points towards his eye,” he said.
Further, Shoaib Akhtar was asked whether any batsmen had told him to get them out but not hit them. To this, the veteran said that the Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan had told so. He added that some Indian tailenders had also told him to show mercy because they have family behind them.
“There were many who told me not to hit them. Muralitharan was one. Many Indian tailenders would tell me ‘don’t hit us, we have families’. Muralitharan would ask me to bowl slow, and he would get out,” he added.
Shoaib Akhtar recalls an incident with Muttiah Muralitharan:
Shoaib Akhtar recalled that the former captain Mohammad Yousuf had told him to break Murali’s finger because he could not play his spin. So, the speedster bowled some bouncer after which the Sri Lankan spinner pleaded for his life.
“Yousuf would ask me to hit him. He would say ‘break his fingers I can’t play his spin’. I bowled Muralitharan a few bouncers but he said ‘don’t do this to me I will die if the ball hits me’, the former paceman Shoaib Akhtar said with a smile on his face.
Shoaib Akhtar has represented Pakistan in 163 ODIs, 15 T20Is and 46 Test matches, picking 6169, 19 and 178 wickets respectively.