Sehwag and Afridi on Favourite Opponents, Special Wins & More
Virender Sehwag and Shahid Afridi get candid about their favourite opponents, superstitions and more!
Video Editor: Ashutosh Bhardwaj
What happens when two cricketers of two rival cricketing nations come together? Well, there’s major throwback! Virender Sehwag and Shahid Afridi during a live chat conducted by UC Browser revealed their favourites opponents, superstitions and more!
Favourite Opponent?
Sehwag: My favourite opponent has always been Pakistan. In my debut match on 1 April 1999 against Pakistan, I was abused so much. I was a 20-year-old boy, and played just two balls. On the second ball, Shoaib removed me for an LBW. I haven’t been abused in the last 20 years as much as I was during those two balls.
Which Cricketer Do You Fear?
Sehwag: If there was one bowler I was scared of, it was Shoaib Akhtar. You didn’t know which ball he would hit on your shoe, and which on your head. And he has hit many bouncers on my head. I was scared of him, but had fun hitting balls from him too.
Afridi: As such I wasn’t scared of anyone, but the one player it was difficult to bowl to was Sehwag.
Favourite Moment in Your Career?
Afridi: The 2009 World Cup is memorable for us because the Sri Lanka incident had happened, and Pakistan cricket was struggling. That win was important to lift the spirits of our nation.
Sehwag: For us there were two – 2007 World T20 and 2011 World Cup. In 2007, we had a really young team and no one had expected us to do well, or win, that too in South Africa. And 2011 is memorable because no other host nation before India had won the World Cup.
Superstitions?
Afridi: I never believed in these things. Just focussed on the game.
Sehwag: When a newly-wedded bride comes home, she steps in with the right foot. So when we enter, we enter with the right foot, thinking maybe our day will be good too. My mother also used to tell me to keep a red cloth in my pocket, or wear a black thread. I did that in Sri Lanka in 2001, and got out on 10, 12 or 0. Sourav Ganguly was our captain then. He came to Yuvraj and my room and told us we had last two chances to perform. So I went in the next match to bat and got out early. So I came back, and gave the red cloth to Yuvraj who then scored 98 not-out. I still haven’t got the red cloth back.
If Not Cricket, What Would You be Doing?
Afridi: My family is mostly into business or are in the army. So I was more interested in the army. Just took a chance at playing cricket.
Sehwag: My father was a farmer. Maybe I would have done that too.
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