One of the fastest bowlers to have played the game, Shoaib Akhtar said in a recent media interaction that the current crop of Indian pacers must be an inspiration for the youngsters in the way they approach the game and also hoped to see the subcontinental countries dominating world cricket in the upcoming years. Besides that, he also gave us an insight to why his marriage was a low-key affair.
Speaking about the Indian bowlers he said that the Indians have produced many quality pacers in the past with the likes of Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan. He also praised the current crop of Indian pacers and said they need to become a role model for the youngsters. “The current bowlers Mohammad Shami, Varun Aaron, Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma should become an inspiration for the youngsters,” Akhtar said.
Akhtar who is currently the judge of a reality show ‘Mazaak Mazaak Mein’ with Harbhajan Singh, said after being the gun bowler for Pakistan for a number of years he wanted to do something which will spread laughter and make him feel much lighter and he believed he was achieving his desired result from the show.
When asked about the entertainment shows in India in relation to Pakistan, he said, “India and Pakistan are two different nations and they are doing separate things, so one can’t compare the two.”
Akhtar wants the subcontinent to rule the cricketing world
The iconic figure also revealed he was offered to act in a few Bollywood movies. “I was offered a couple of films which had good subjects, but I don’t want to talk about them as the talks didn’t materialise. Right now my strength is Cricket and that’s what I do best. I would really want the subcontinent to rule the world,” the former speedster from Pakistan said.
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A passionate and emotional guy Shoaib was involved in various controversies during his career. “It has been four years since I left playing cricket, but I still feel that I am playing the game. Even now when I watch a match, I jump from the sofa and comment on the bowling or batting attack. Whatever I may have said in the past was only because I was passionate about the game.”
Micky Arthur was appointed the head coach of the Pakistan team prior to the England series and when Shoaib was asked whether he would like to coach Pakistan anytime in future he said, “I am always available to serve Pakistan cricket in whatever capacity. But Mickey Arthur has joined recently and I totally support him. I think he is the right man to take Pakistan cricket forward.”
Want to keep my marriage a low-key affair like MS Dhoni
In June 2014 he tied the knot with Rubab Khan but the Nikah ceremony was held in the presence of only a few close people. When asked about the low-profile marriage Shoaib said,
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“I feel that marriage is all about friendship. Ek doosre ka saath zaroori hai (we need to support each other), then it turns into a meaningful relationship. I also don’t believe that a woman has to let go of her career when she gets married. A man and woman can easily balance their home and careers,” the former Pakistan pacer concluded.
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