The cricketing competitors of India and Pakistan have provided some of the most thrilling and well-acknowledged fixtures in the ever-growing game. India has been historically strong on batting and Pakistan on fast bowling, creating legendary cricketers from both countries. Recently, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali opened Pandora’s box, giving good information about Pakistani player behavior during these nervy situations.
In an honest and blunt discussion on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali said that the Pakistani players did have an immense amount of fear of Indian cricketer Tendulkar.
Basit Ali’s Tribute to Sachin Tendulkar
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The Indian batter, considered to be among the best cricket has ever produced, has been instrumental in creating records against Pakistan. In ODIs, he ranks top among the run-getters against Pakistan, where, batting in 67 innings, he has scored 2,526 runs. While playing test cricket, Tendulkar has scored 1,057 runs against Pakistan with an average of over 42.
Known as the ‘Master Blaster’, this cricketer played his first Test on November 15, 1989, at the age of 16 and played his last one-day international match in 2013. His sheer ability to dictate bowler and take on all kinds of bowing with sheer skill, technicality, and mastery of a volley of shots enthralled cricket lovers across the globe.
In a career of over 24 years. he has scored a total of 34,357 runs in 664 international matches, averaging 48. Tendulkar holds the record for the highest international run-maker to date. He has s hundred centuries to his name and 164 half-centuries, setting the record for having the maximum number of centuries in international cricket. Notably, he remains the only player in the history of the game to have scored a hundred international centuries, making him the epitome of the sport.
The Strategy of Wasim Akram’s Pep Talk
Speaking on these examples, Basit Ali narrated one day that Wasim Akram, the captain of the Pakistani team at the time, would always press for removing Tendulkar in team meetings. As Sachin was the top-order batsman and Muhammad Ali was the middle-order batsman, Basit Ali would always try to copy Tendulkar. Basit Ali also includes this, which Akram would always say at practice sessions and even during meals. He would usually include that Sachin is the key player for the Indian team, so if we get him early, we will defeat them easily.
This was another specific long-term strategy; when it came to selecting batsmen, Tendulkar was given far more attention than other players because he changed the game and could seriously challenge any bowling line-up. Basit Ali went on to say that whenever Sachin was dismissed, that feeling of Pakistan winning the match appeared to settle in their minds, even if the match was far from over, but it came down to the fact that they never wanted that feeling.
Moreover, he added that whenever Sachin played a shot, it was a marvel to watch, but if he reached out for a delivery and was dismissed, that was something they could not stand, not even when there were other great players such as Basit Ali.
The former Pak cricketer’s testimony enlightens the listeners about the amount of respect and fear that Tendulkar commanded among his rivals. The cold truth about his fearsomeness and unmatched skill endures and remains part of legends about this elite champion. The emotions of cricket lovers are reminded of the outstanding career of Tendulkar, which is inspiring for the present and future successful generations.
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