Akhtar speaks good about India so that he can get paid: Virender Sehwag

03/04/2016

Former Indian international Virender Sehwag poked fun of former Pakistani cricketers who want to come to India to earn money by doing commentary. The 37-year-old believes that the only reason someone like former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar talks good about India is in order to earn more money.

“Shoaib Akhtar became a really good friend because he wanted to establish 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 said during the launch of mobile streaming service Viu.

Recently Pakistani bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, who played under Sehwag in the MCL, said that Viru is the best captain he has played under, backtracking from his earlier statement where he said Inzamam-ul-Haq was the best leader he has played for. Sehwag, however, joked that Rana said this in order to get a job in a news channel in India.

“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,” he said.

Sehwag said that he is relieved about the fact that he has retired from international cricket as he can avoid being teased by his kids whenever he was dismissed.

“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 added.

The Nawab of Najafgarh also revealed Rahul Dravid used to meditate before every match, something he could never manage to do.

“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 laughed and added.

Sehwag had an unconventional technique, yet he was one of the greatest India has produced - here is a feature on Sehwag the 'Un-Opener'.