Shoaib Akhtar thanks Sunil Gavaskar: The former Pakistani fast bowler is doing the rounds in Indian media for proposing India-Pakistan series.
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It was in the first week of April that former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had proposed an international cricket series between arch-rivals India and Pakistan to generate funds regarding COVID-19 pandemic.
Akhtar’s comments received strong criticism particularly in India for many illustrious personalities including former captain Kapil Dev opened up on the minimal chances of both nations playing amidst a global crisis.
While bilateral cricket between the two nations has been put to a halt due to the political tension between them, former Indian opening batsmen in Aakash Chopra and Sunil Gavaskar have participated in YouTube chat sessions alongside former Pakistani captain Ramiz Raja.
“There are more chances of snowfall in Lahore than bilateral series between India and Pakistan. Both teams will keep on meeting in World Cups and ICC tournaments, but a series between them seem unlikely right now,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying on Raja’s YouTube channel regarding Akhtar’s proposal.
Shoaib Akhtar thanks Sunil Gavaskar
Replying to Gavaskar’s statement, Akhtar took to his Twitter handle to share am image of snow falling in Lahore last year. “Well Sunny bhai, we did have a snowfall in Lahore last year 🙂 So nothing is impossible,” read Akhtar’s tweet.
Well Sunny bhai, we did have a snowfall in Lahore last year 🙂
So nothing is impossible. pic.twitter.com/CwbEGBc45N— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) April 14, 2020
In his recent column for MidDay, Gavaskar wrote how he keeps on getting requests from former cricketers regarding regarding engaging in online live sessions. The 70-year old also mentioned that he enjoyed his YouTube session alongside Raja.
“Requests keep coming in to join with them [former cricketers] to relive the old times and talk about how time is spent in the current self containment situation. It’s not easy which ones to accept and which to reject.
“I enjoyed the one I did with Ramiz Raja as we get along very well but what I enjoyed even more was Shoaib Akhtar’s superb comeback about my snowfall in Lahore comment. A fast bowler with a sense of humour. Wow, love that,” Gavaskar wrote in his column for Mid-Day.
Responding to Gavaskar for the second time on this topic, Akhtar thanked Gavaskar and mentioned that all sub-continent players look up to him.
Thanks for the love Sunny bhai. All the players in the subcontinent look up to you. https://t.co/VSjk2pYTc6
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) April 20, 2020
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