Former Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar and Australian batter Matthew Hayde were fierce competitors on the field. Both of them were famous for their aggressive nature, and they played their game in the very same way. A fit Akhtar was a nightmare for the batters, whereas Hayden was one of the most lethal openers.
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Akhtar had quite a controversial career, he was the fastest bowler on the field, but his comments outside always kept him in the news for the wrong reasons. He once admitted that every Pakistani bowler has done ball-tampering and was once banned by the PCB for 5 years.
Pakistan toured Australia for a 3-match Test series in 2003-04 where everyone saw a tempting competition between Akhtar and Hayden. Both of them were trying to get on top of each other, and the Rawalpindi Express proved his class against the Australian southpaw.
Shoaib Akhtar recalled how Matthew Hayden got frustrated after 3 dismissals in consecutive Tests
In an interview with PTV Sports, Akhtar had once revealed how Hayden was frustrated at him because he could not play him at all. Akhtar dismissed Hayden in all three Tests and was all over the Australian opener. He said that he never enjoyed Hayden’s personality and was even fined for his send-off in the Perth Test.
Akhtar revealed how he managed to get better off Hayden in all the matches. In the latter part of the interview, he also said that they got along quite well with each other when did commentary together during the IPL with the Indian broadcaster.
“He never enjoyed my fame and I never enjoyed his personality. I always told him that I’m better looking than you [laughs]. The Test match started in Perth and he was out leg-before and I was fined ten percent for that send-off,” Shoaib Akhtar told PTV Sports.
“Then he was leaving me [outside off] from round the wicket, where you can get the ball to swing in big. He got bowled. Then in Melbourne, he got out again. In Sydney, he got stuck and never got going. He couldn’t do anything in those three Test matches. He started crying,” said Akhtar.
Australia won the 3-match Test series by 3-0 where they easily won all three matches. Akhtar scalped 11 wickets in the series, whereas Hayden managed to score 128 runs in three matches at 32.00.
