"If I had played that game, I would have taken down Sehwag and Sachin"- Shoaib Akhtar reveals 2011 World Cup semifinal still 'haunts' him
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has revealed that the 2011 World Cup semifinal loss to India still 'haunts' him. Although Akhtar was in the twilight of his career at the time, he still believed he was Pakistan's best chance to reach the final.
However, the speedster didn't play the game and Pakistan ended up losing the semifinal. The 46-year-old claimed that he knew the weaknesses of Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag and would have dismissed them cheaply.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, here's what Akhtar had to say about Pakistan's defeat:
"Mohali's memory haunts me, the 2011 World Cup semifinal. I knew India was under tremendous pressure as 1.3 billion people and the media were all over them. So then we were underdogs and we shouldn't have taken pressure. I was so sad because if I had played that game, I would have taken down Sehwag and Sachin. I knew if we hold these two players from the top, India will collapse."
The speedster further shed light on his emotions as he saw Pakistan lose. He added:
"I only know how I spent those six hours seeing Pakistan losing. I am not the kind of a person who cries but I break things. So I broke a few things in the dressing room. I was so furious and disappointed and so was my whole nation. It was a game of the first ten overs."
They told me I was unfit: Shoaib Akhtar on 'unfair' Pakistan management
Shoaib Akhtar believes Pakistan had all bases covered to win the 2011 World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium. However, he was disheartened when the team management told him that he was unfit for the semifinal. On this, Shoaib Akhtar stated:
"They should have played me. The management didn't play me and that was unfair to me. I just had these two matches with me and I wanted the Pakistan flag to fly high at Wankhede. They told me I was unfit, but I bowled eight overs in the warm-up. I was very hurt by that."
It is perhaps a shame that the world couldn't see Akhtar tearing into opposition batters for Pakistan after that World Cup.