This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant

Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Veteran India opener Virender Sehwag opened up on the relationship he has with former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar. Sehwag said that he had many friends on the Pakistan team. Out of them, the veteran pacer is the one who is closest to him.

Sehwag spoke about his friendship with the ace Pakistan pacer and mentioned that he makes fun of Akhtar on social media, and has also helped him sign some business deals.

“I made a lot of friends from the Pakistani team, but my closest friend was Shoaib Akhtar. He is a very dear friend, which is why I keep pulling his leg. I have given him a lot of business,” Sehwag said while speaking to Ranveer Allahbadia on his show ‘The Ranveer Show’. 

“Wherever I go, I tell them that I have a great bond with Akhatar, and they invite him too. A documentary is being made on India-Pakistan cricket, and I requested them to include Akhtar as I was sure that fans would love our partnership,” he added.

Akhtar is a different person when he is on camera, says Sehwag

Sehwag also mentioned that he Akhtar is fun person to be with but becomes slightly different when he is on camera. He also recalled that the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ had once asked him not to make fun of him on camera.

“Shoaib Akhtar is a very good person in real life, I don’t know what happens to him on camera. He is a different person when he is on camera. Off camera, he is very jovial and a fun person. I enjoy engaging with him, but he asks me not to make fun of him on camera,” Sehwag said.

While India-Pakistan is one of the biggest rivalries in cricket, the two teams do not play bilateral cricket owing to political tensions between the two nations. 

For a better experience: Download the CricTracker app from the IOS App Store and Google Play Store