'I intentionally wanted to hit Sachin Tendulkar and injured him', reveals Shoaib Akhtar

• Image Credit: Internet

• Jun 5, 2022 | Guriya Khatun

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, the 46-year-old disclosed a former incident in which he claimed that his goal was to injure Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar rather than get him out.

Digital Desk: In a bittersweet international career for former world champions Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar became the world's quickest bowler. With his extra pace, the former Pakistan international made life difficult for opposition batters and injured many others. He played at the highest level for over 14 years.

In a recent interview with Sportskeeda, the 46-year-old disclosed a former incident in which he claimed that his goal was to injure Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar rather than get him out. Akhtar was alluding to the third Test between India and Pakistan, which took place at the National Stadium in Karachi in 2006 during India's tour of the subcontinent rivals.

"This is the first time I'm revealing it. In that Test match, I set out to smash Sachin Tendulkar. I was dead set on wounding Sachin in that Test at all costs. I wanted to hit Sachin, but Inzamam kept telling me to bowl before the wickets. So I smacked him across the face with my helmet, and I figured he was done. However, after watching the film, I noticed Sachin had managed to save his life, "Akhtar stated.

While he was trying to get away from Tendulkar, the right-arm pacer said that disgraced Pakistan pacer Mohammad Asif was causing problems for the Indian batters with his clinical display.

"I attempted to hurt him once more. On the other side, the Indian batting line-up was up against Asif Ali. On that particular day, I had rarely seen anyone bowl as brilliantly as Asif did, "He went on to say.

Irfan Pathan's hat-trick in the opening over of the Karachi Test between the arch-rivals is legendary. To achieve that extraordinary achievement, the left-arm medium-pacer dismissed opening batter Salman Butt and the veteran middle-order combination of Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf in the last three balls of his first over. Despite this, India was humiliated by a 341-run loss to Younis Khan's side, losing the three-match series 0-1.