Shoaib Akhtar Birthday Special: When 'Rawalpindi Express’ Thought ‘Indians Would Burn Me Alive’

Happy Birthday Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib Akhtar turns 46 today.

The on-field rivalry between Shoaib Akhtar and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar is one of the most memorable moments for cricket fans in the two countries.

Both athletes, who were among the greatest in their respective fields, had such a fierce rivalry that they never gave each other an inch on the field, but once the game was done, they treated each other entirely differently, as if they had never been competitors in the first place.
Unlike now, there was a period when India and Pakistan used to play bilateral series on a regular basis, and the players on both sides had a great time competing against one other.

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As a fast bowler, Akhtar was always proud of his physique and never missed an occasion to demonstrate his raw strength.

When Pakistan toured India in 2007, players from both teams attended an awards ceremony, and Akhtar reasoned that there was no better place to flex his muscles than in front of some of India's greatest superstars. However, his decision almost put him in troubled waters, or so he believed at the time.

In an attempt to impress, the former Pakistan bowler attempted to raise Tendulkar, but failed horribly and ended up making a fool of himself as the ‘Master Blaster' slid out of his grip and fell to the ground.

Embarrassed by the episode, Akhtar briefly considered the phrase "I am dead," knowing that if something happened to Tendulkar, he would never be granted a visa to enter India again, and Indian supporters would "burn him alive.”

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“If there is one country where I have gotten a lot of affection after Pakistan, it is India. My travels to India have left me with many fond recollections. One of the recollections I'd like to share with you is from a 2007 awards ceremony. After the occasion, there was definitely a get-together. I wanted to make something new, as always. So, just for fun, I attempted to lift Sachin Tendulkar.

I was able to lift him, but he slipped from my grip. Tendulkar dropped to the ground, not severely, but I thought to myself, "I'm dead." I was afraid that if Sachin Tendulkar became unfit or injured, I might be denied entry to India. While talking to True scoop,  Akhtar stated, "The Indians would never allow me to return to the nation or would burn me alive.”

“I thought I was done for life when he went down. I recall Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh being present and asking me, "What are you doing man?" And I said, "I don't really know; it simply occurred." So I walked up to Tendulkar and hugged him and asked if he was okay. He thankfully stated that he was alright.

"Then I warned him that if anything had occurred, it might have gotten me in a lot of trouble, especially with the media and all of my Indian followers." Later in the series, Tendulkar hammered us. I wanted he was unfit at that point,” remarked the world's quickest bowler.

To be honest, Akhtar should have considered carefully before lifting a man who was responsible for the Indian batting line-up. Fortunately, nothing bad occurred to the Indian great, and Akhtar was able to leave the gathering without incident.