Thrill, excitement, and entertainment, there is a rush of all these emotions whenever team India and Pakistan collide with each other on-field. This is one of the reasons why the relations between both the arch-rivals and their fans aren’t that good. However, over the years, the game has changed and so have both the teams.
Recently, Pakistan’s legendary bowler Shoaib Akhtar pointed out how the thinking of India and Pakistan cricket teams has changed over the years.
Well, in a recent interaction, Shoaib Akhtar, who is seen praising Indian cricketers for their performances every now and then, was asked about the criticism he receives from Pakistan cricket fans over his admiration for Indian cricketers. Responding to which, he said:
“I don’t know why people are angry, they should go look at the stats first before criticizing me. Do they want to keep the hatred in mind, that just because he is an Indian, we will not praise him?”
Shoaib Akhtar also praised team India on how unlike Pakistan they always brought the right people on the top, which helped them get an edge over their arch-rivals. He also asked why they keep finding faults. He said:
“Why do you always try to find faults, why don’t you try and be like them. There was a time when Indians wanted to be like Pakistan. Now, Pakistan want to be like Indians,” Akhtar said. “In late 90s, India would raise their hands that we don’t want to play in Sharjah against Pakistan.
He added:
“Our mindset was made to change by bringing average people on the top. They brought average people to be the captain of the team. Look at what India got – they made Virat Kohli the captain, an aggressive player. Who did we bring?”
Further, Shoaib Akhtar was also asked about the rumors of him being approached to be the CEO of PCB. Answering which, he said:
“Nobody has approached me for the role of the chief selector. Be it me or any other person, the important thing as a chief selector is the change in mindset –which we desperately need. That person and the head coach need to be on the same page for the betterment of the team.”
He added:
“But I do know that the general public wants someone who thinks like me in charge of selecting players. A person who is straightforward and demands performances from the cricketers.”
