Shoaib Akhtar wanted to establish a business in India: Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag has always been a sucker for pulling the legs of his colleagues. While he is known to tear apart bowling attacks of different sides, the 37-year-old Sehwag’s strong sense of humor always comes to the fore.

The aggressive Delhi was at his best when he ridiculed the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar’s words of praise for Indian cricket with the sole reason of only achieving business in the sub-continent.

“Shoaib Akhtar became a really good friend because he wanted to establish a business in India. That’s why he had to talk good about India so that he could get paid by doing commentary. Whenever you see Akhtar today, you’ll notice him praising India so much, nobody would even believe him praising India so much in his life. During my time when he used to bowl to me, there was no love lost. Money can do everything,” Sehwag poked fun at former Pakistan speedster.

Virender Sehwag featured for the Gemini Arabians in the recently concluded MCL. Former Pakistan bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan (who played for Sehwag’s team in the MCL) changed his stance saying earlier it was Inzamam-ul-Haq who was his best captain but now it’s clearly Sehwag.

“Yes, definitely, because now he too is in search of maybe a job in a news channel in India. If Star Sports is listening then they too can call him to give Sehwag some company and have another Pakistani commentator. Nowadays Pakistani people such as Mohammad Yousuf, Saqlain Mushtaq or Rana, who work in Pakistan TV channels, all want to come to India because they know India is a big market and obviously if you get Rs 1 lakh over here, then its Rs 2 lakh in Pakistan,” the 37-year-old Sehwag said.

Sehwag also stated that the pressure on his children in their school is immense. However, the apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree as his kids,in turn, ridicule him.

“When you have children they tease you to such levels that you can’t even expect. Today also when they watch television, they tell me, ‘Papa, agar aap khel rahe tho aap out ho jaate, tho hamara kya hota, hamare dost tho haemin maar ke ate’ (Papa, if you were playing today and if you were out then our friends would hammer us). Imagine if I was playing and got out, how much would I have to listen? Luckily now I have left cricket and my children too have grown older and mature,” Sehwag guffawed.

“I don’t think it’s needed. My funda is to play the ball you just need 30 seconds or 20 seconds. If you can meditate for that time then it’s very good. Whenever I tried to meditate, be it for 20, 30 or 50 seconds, I just couldn’t do it so that’s why I didn’t even try to mediate. I though whatever I am doing that’s fine. Singing songs, blowing whistles (while batting), in that way I am getting to score runs and more than Dravid so what’s the problem,” he added.