ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Ahead of India vs Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar makes BIG statement about Sachin Tendulkar - WATCH

As the days' inch closer to the most awaited match of the year - India vs Pakistan - the off-field banter between and fans and former cricketers have already begun. With the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in progress, India will be facing arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24 in the UAE. Both teams are part of the Super12 and will face each other in the first clash of their group.

However, ahead of the tournament, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has made a big statement about Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. According to the speedster, his statement a couple of years ago regarding the former India captain was taken out of context.

He added that his intention was never to tell anyone that Tendulkar was scared to face him when he came to bowl. Talking exclusively with Zee News, Akhtar opened up about the incident and said that it was a hype created by the media. 

"Once and for all I want to clear this thing, this was all media hype. The thing is that when you write a book, you will then have to explain everything because things are taken out of context. I had said in Faisalabad, he then had that tennis elbow injury because of which he could not hook and pull. So my idea was to bowl short to him and maybe scare him a bit to use that weakness that he had because of tennis elbow. I never wrote Sachin is scared of me, never said he is not a great player," Akhtar said.

Akhtar further added, "I have a lot of respect for him and I have even gone to his place in 2016 and told him that. He cooked for me and for the record he is also a great cook and an even better human being. I told him what I had written about him and Sachin said, ‘Leave all that whatever it is. You had hit me during a match in Guwahati. Do you know where you had hit me?’ he asked and I said I think it was in your rib cage".

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"Sachin said that night he went to the hospital and found out that he has a fracture in his rib cage and still went on to play against him. He couldn’t breathe and Sourav Ganguly was saying something but he couldn’t breathe. I asked him why didn’t you tell me? and Sachin said, ‘You were on top of me and India were in a spot of bother then. I went to the hospital and found out that I have a fracture on my 12th or 13th rib but I continued playing,’ " Akhtar continued.

The 46-year-old former fast bowler went on to explain and said, "So I never said Sachin or Ganguly used to be scared of me. It was just media hype… I accept that he is the greatest ever."