Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar was unhappy with an Indian journalist ahead of India's clash with their arch\-rivals in the Cup 2022 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, August 28. Akhtar was asked about the famous ‘Baap baap hota he’ remark made by former India cricketer Virender Sehwag, made after one such India-Pakistan match.
Denying that Sehwag ever made such a statement, Akhtar was not pleased with the journalist for her incessant pushing on the topic and trying to provoke him.
In an interview in 2010, Sehwag admitted that he made this statement after Sachin Tendulkar smashed Akhtar for a six during one of the India-Pakistan matches. The journalist reminded the legend of the same incident and asked him whether there were other such moments in his career.
Akhtar opened up, saying that he once asked Sehwag about this and the former India great denied saying it. He further admitted that he did not like the question and rather urged the journalist to focus on cricket rather than talk about such incidents.
"If he had said this to my face then it would have been very difficult for him. I don't know when and where he said this. I had even asked him once in Bangladesh whether he said this or not then he had denied it. Secondly, we should celebrate these occasions and talk about cricket rather than doing these. I respect India a lot, I respect you too and I never say such things which may create differences between the two countries.
This isn't the first time Akhtar has denied that Sehwag ever made that statement. Two years back in an interview on Pakistani news channel ARY News, the veteran cricketer had responded in a similar manner saying, 'Would he survive after saying something like that to me? Would I leave him? I would beat him up on the ground and then at the hotel. The story has been made up."
