In the podcast, Saqlain said, ‘We went to Canada once. I had just come to England after playing county cricket. I was young then and after playing my first county season, I used to bowl in a different world of my own. When I bowled against Sachin in Canada, while sledging him, I used some words which were very harsh. After this, I was shocked to hear what Sachin told me.
Saqlain told that, ‘After sledging, when I finished my over to Sachin, he came to me and very politely told me that Saiki, I never thought that you would do this. I didn’t think you were the kind of person who would say such words to someone. I thought you were a good person. I was surprised to hear this from him. After this, for the next three-four overs, I kept thinking about his words.
Recalling this incident, Saqlain said, ‘When you treat someone harshly and the person in front still talks nicely, you start thinking about him. Sachin’s words remained in my thoughts for a long time. After that he was hitting at least one boundary for four-five overs. I was also respecting his batting, but when he came out of the crease and hit me for a four, then I realized that Sachin has played with my mind. I felt very bad after his four. By then he was fully established as a batsman. However, after this I met him in the hotel room and said that you are a clever player.
Saqlain’s star shone after the county
India and Pakistan played 16 ODIs in Canada between 1996 and 1998. Meanwhile, 1997 was the best year for Saqlain Mushtaq. After refining his bowling in the county, he made a big splash for the national team. He took a total of 69 wickets in ODI cricket in 1997. The record for taking the most wickets in a calendar year in ODI cricket is still intact.
Source: navbharattimes.indiatimes.com
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