Used to enjoy pressure of playing against India, admits Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram talks about the 1999 India tour
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Wasim Akram has admitted that despite encounters versus India being filled with pressure, he loved and enjoyed playing against the Men in Blue. Akram also recalled the Chennai Test in 1999, where, after the win, the tourists were given a round of applause and standing ovation by the Chennai crowd.
More often than not, cricketers always feel the heat when the encounter is against arch-rivals. In the recent past, a lot of cricketers, including Shikhar Dhawan, have talked about how the banter between the Indian fans and Pakistan fans create a lively atmosphere in the playing field. Attesting to the statement, legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram admitted that he used to enjoy the pressure of playing against the Indian team during his career.
“I used to enjoy Indo-Pak pressure, used to take it in a positive way,” Akram told Watson in ‘Lessons Learnt with the Greats’ podcast.
The left-arm seamer also revealed how the 1999 tour against India was one of the most memorable tours for him as a player. Not only was Akram an integral part of the Pakistani test setup, but he also came up against a generational talent from across the border in the form of Sachin Tendulkar.
“The 90s we won a lot against India. Nowadays it’s a different story. It’s the opposite. The tables have turned I suppose. If you talk about tours, I would pick an India tour. 1999 - We toured India after 10 years,” Akram added.
Being the skipper of the side, Akram recalled how he pointed out to his boys that there would no support or respect for the visitors in Chennai. However, contrary to his expectations, the home fans gave the touring side a round of applause after they pulled off a miraculous win, defeating India by 12 runs.
“I was the captain. The first Test was in Chennai. I told my boys, if the stadium is quiet then we are doing our job. So we would never get support in India and India would never get support in Pakistan. That was the thing,” he added.
“Saqlain Mushtaq bowled a phenomenal over. The inventor of doosra. We got a standing ovation from the Chennai crowd. That was my favourite tour.”
