As the anticipation built for the 12th match of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 between India and Pakistan, Shoaib Akhtar's social media post on X (formerly Twitter) set off a chain reaction. Akhtar shared a picture of himself dismissing Sachin Tendulkar, sparking a flurry of responses from fellow cricketers and fans. Following India's comprehensive victory over Pakistan in the World Cup clash, Akhtar faced a barrage of trolling on social media. Even Tendulkar couldn't resist adding some spice to the former Pakistan pacer's post. Now, Akhtar has also responded to Sachin's comment.
Akhtar's post read, "Kal agar asa kuch kerna hai, toh #ThandRakh," which prompted reactions from various Indian cricketers, including Sachin.
After India convincingly defeated Pakistan by 7 wickets in the match, Tendulkar replied: "My friend, aap ka advice follow kiya aur sab kuch billlkoool THANDA rakha...."
The Rawalpindi Express also took to X to respond to Sachin's comment.
"My friend, you're the greatest player of all times to have graced the game and the biggest ambassador of it. Our friendly banter doesn't change that for sure," Akhtar wrote.
The Indian team's captain, Rohit Sharma, played a crucial role by delivering a splendid innings of 86 runs, guiding his team to a comfortable chase of Pakistan's modest total of 191. The Indian bowlers, comprising Bumrah, Siraj, Kuldeep, Pandya, and Jadeja, proved to be too much for the batting line-up of the Pakistan team as they ran through their middle order despite them getting a powerful start, limiting them to a mere 191 runs.
Despite the bitter defeat, Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur expressed optimism about the possibility of facing India in the World Cup final.
During the post-match press conference, he remarked, "This Indian team is a very, very good cricket team. I think they're very well led by Rahul and Rohit. I think they look good. I think they've got all bases covered, and I'm looking forward to meeting them in the final again."