The cricket matches between India and Pakistan are always highly intense and competitive as both the sides are in immense pressure to win the games against each other. However due to political tensions between both the countries, they haven’t played any bilateral series for quite a long time now because of which cricket fans have not been able to see them facing each other in the longest format of the game. The cricket teams of both the nations play against each other in the multi-nation events but there is no denying the fact that fans miss a lot seeing both the teams contesting in the purest form of the game in a big manner.
Cricket fans have witnessed some really great, memorable and match-winning performances from the players of both the sides but there have been instances when some controversies have erupted due to the events which have taken place on the field and one of the examples that we can give in this regard is from the first test match played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, under the 1998/99 in the Asian Test Championship. The former Pak cricketer Wasim Akram talked about this incident in his autobiography ‘Sultan: A Memoir’ and shared an interesting conversation that he had with the former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar at that time.
The former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar got dismissed for a duck on a Yorker from Shoaib Akhtar in the first innings but his dismissal in the second innings was subject to controversy as the legendary batter was run-out after colliding with Shoaib Akhtar while running on the pitch.
It happened on the bowling of the then skipper Wasim Akram, Sachin Tendulkar played the ball to mid-wicket and he was running for the third run when he collided with Shoaib Akhtar and it was more difficult for the Little Master to save his wicket as it was a direct throw from Nadeem Khan. The Pakistani team appealed for run-out and the umpire gave the decision in their favor which made the crowd angry and they started pelting stones as a result of which the match was stopped.
Wasim Akram wrote in his book that during the break, Sunil Gavaskar along with match referee met Akram and asked him to recall Sachin Tendulkar. Sunil Gavaskar said to Wasim Akram that he should recall Sachin as the Indian crowd would love him for that but Wasim refused to do so as he told Sunny that Indians might love him for recalling Sachin but Pakistanis would hate him for that. Besides that, the decision had been given by the umpire and it’s not possible for him to recall Sachin. Wasim Akram wrote that he further said to Sunil Gavaskar that he knew it was an accident but it happened in the game of cricket and it was not the job of captains to solve such issues.
Do you remember that incident? What is your take on this matter? Let us know.