Shoaib Akhtar believes sachin Tendulkar is the same kind of threat to pakistan as in 2003 and today could well be a repeat
Shoaib Akhtar believes Sachin Tendulkar is the same kind of threat to Pakistan as in 2003 and today could well be a repeat
Shoaib Akhtar has featured in many memorable matches for his country in which Pakistan emerged as victors.
But even after six years, the enigmatic pace bowler cannot get over the disappointment of that fateful day March 1 at Centurion in 2003 when India put Pakistan out of the World Cup with a comprehensive six-wicket win with 26 balls to spare.
But he remained confident that Pakistan could get revenge for thatu00a0 defeat when the two teams clash again in the Champions Trophy at the same ground today. "I am hopeful Pakistan can change this trend of losing to India inu00a0 ICC events," he added. Shoaib, however, had lot of praise for Sachin Tendulkar. "People who say he is past his prime don't know what they are talking about. He still remains as big a threat as he was in 2003.
"He can still turn a match with his ability and if the conditions are ideal for him, he thrives on his greatness. In 2003, he played like a great player." Shoaib had some advice for the bowlers in the present Pakistan team.
"Pressurise him from the start. Use every tactic to mentally upset him. He is very calm, but the key is to disturb his concentration. The bowlers need to be aggressive and not hesitate to bounce him. A few words here and there would also help because at the end of the day, cricket is a mental game. It's all about sustaining and creating pressure," Shoaib said.
The controversial fast bowler felt that Tendulkar would be under some extra pressure due to the absence of Virender Sehwag. "His (Sehwag's) absence is a big setback because when he batted with Tendulkar, he took the pressure off by scoring quickly," he said.
Shoaib had no doubts about India vs Pakistan being the biggest rivalry in the sport.
"People talk about India vs Australia and the Ashes, but Indo-Pak rivalry remains the biggest attraction of international cricket."
