Pakistan cricket team's star speedster Shoaib Akhtar is considered to be one of the World's fastest bowlers of all time. The mercurial pacer, in his playing days, troubled many world-class batsmen with his lethal bowling. Akhtar has played all formats of the game in a career that spanned over fourteen years. The veteran has been involved in many controversies during his playing days and even after his retirement often talks about his on-field antics, that are loved by his fans.
But, Akhtar got a taste of his own medicine from Australian cricket team's star opener Matthew Hayden during the Pakistan vs Australia second Test of 2002 series at Sharjah.
Hayden went down the memory lane to recall the time when he and Akhtar were involved in a heated argument during the AUS vs PAK Test after Akhtar used profanity as he threatened the legendary Aussie opener and said, "I am going to kill you today."
Australia completely dominated the Pakistani team in the Test and won the game by an innings and 198 runs with Pakistan getting bowled out for 59 and 53 in the two innings, respectively.
"Someone like Akhtar for example, I'd call him 'B-grade actor' for a start, which used to get under his skin a bit," Hayden said on The Grade Cricketer podcast, as per news.com.au.
"We were playing in Sharjah and it was 58 degrees out in the middle and Akhtar, when we walked out, said, 'I'm going to kill you today' in a whole lot more colourful language. And I said, 'Mate, that's terrific, you know I'm looking forward to that challenge' in a lot more colourful language.
"So I said, 'but here's the thing, dumbo. You've got 18 balls to do it. You've got three overs because you're going to turn into a marshmallow that's been left on the plane too long and is going to be dripping down and I'm going to be the one at the other end of those 18 balls that's going to be mopping it up'."
The former left-handed also revealed speaking to then-umpire S Venkataraghavan regarding Akhtar's attitude on the field and the Indian official had even given a stern warning to the Pakistan fast-bowler.
"I go right, how can I get Shoaib looking like an absolute goose and how can I tell Venkat about this? Now India and Pakistan, there's no love lost there, so I though that's my point (of leverage)," Hayden said.
"So as Shoaib's running in to bowl and he's cursing every profanity under the sun at me, I get to his bowling mark as I'm counting down his balls from one to 18. He gets to his delivery stride and I pull out. He runs at me going, 'What's the problem?'
"I said, 'I've got a problem'. I storm up to Venkat and say, 'I give everything on the game, I deserve everything I get, but within the protocols and etiquette of the game, surely you can't be running in and abusing someone'," he added.