Cricket greats Shoaib Akhtar and Sachin Tendulkar were engaged in a hilarious exchange on social media, with the two legends trolling each other on Twitter, now rebranded as X. Shoaib Akhtar and Sachin Tendulkar's eye-catching conversation on the microblogging platform came amidst Team India's comprehensive victory over Pakistan in Saturday's Cricket World Cup match in Ahmedabad.

 

Before the match, Shoaib Akhtar trolled Sachin Tendulkar as he shared a picture on X, previously Twitter, in which the former was celebrating the wicket of the Indian batter in a Test match when the two were active cricketers.

 

After Rohit Sharma and his teammates pummeled Pakistan at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Gujarat, Sachin Tendulkar fired back at Shoaib Akhtar with a cheeky reply.

 

“My friend, aap ka advice follow kiya aur sab kuch billlkoool THANDA rakha,” Sachin Tendulkar posted on the microblogging platform.

 

Shoaib Akhtar responded to Sachin Tendulkar's dig by writing back, “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.” 

 

Before Sachin Tendulkar, his former batting partner Virender Sehwag mocked Shoaib Akhtar.

 

After watching Pakistan capitulate against India, Shoaib Akhtar posted on X, “Wah re yeh khamosh chokkay.”

 

In reply, Virender Sehwag took a dig at Shoaib Akhtar as he stated: “Shayad khamoshi ke chauke dekhkar Pakistani batsman ne jaldi jaldi pavillion lautne ki thaan li. Jhel nahi paaye yaar pressure Haha..Koi nahi Shoaib Bhai. Na Ishq Na Pyaar mein.. Jo Maza 8-0 ki haar mein!”

 

If one analyzes Pakistan's performance in the game against India, the Babar Azam-led side produced a batting display that was very Pakistan-like in Motera.

 

At 155/2, Pakistan had 300 in sight as two of its most senior batters, captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, were batting together in the middle.

 

As it appeared Pakistan was in control of the proceedings against the Indian bowlers, Mohammed Siraj produced a gem to dismiss Babar Azam, who fell for fifty off 58 balls.

 

Subsequently, the Pakistan middle order fell like nine-pins, with Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah emerging as the destroyers-in-chief of the Green Army's batting line-up.

 

Eventually, the Pakistan cricket team was dismissed for 191, with their last eight wickets adding only 37 runs on the scoreboard.

 

With India needing 192 to register their eighth successive victory over Pakistan in 50-over World Cups, the Men in Blue were off to a flier, with Rohit Sharma smashing the ball over the park.

 

Rohit Sharma, who struck a blistering hundred in the last match against Afghanistan, appeared in great nick as he dealt in boundaries and sixes throughout his knock in Motera.

 

The Pakistani bowlers were helpless in front of Rohit Sharma's onslaught as the Indians were on their way to a commanding win over their neighbors.

 

Though India lost Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli in quick succession, with both contributing 16 runs each, Shreyas Iyer joined Rohit Sharma in the middle, and their 77-run partnership almost sealed the home team's triumph.

 

But against the run of play, Rohit Sharma, steadily moving toward his second consecutive century in this edition of the World Cup, lost his wicket to Shaheen Shah Afridi as he mistimed a slower ball from the premier Pakistan speedster.

 

After Rohit Sharma's departure, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul ensured there were no more hiccups for Team India, as the hosts completed a seven-wicket triumph with more than 19 overs to spare.

 

Pakistan's stunning defeat against India resulted in angry reactions from former cricketers, including Shoaib Akhtar, who blasted Babar Azam and Co. for looking like a club side in front of a well-oiled Men in Blue.

 

“The kind of innings he played, he humiliated Pakistan's bowling attack. He took revenge for the last two years when he didn’t get many runs. Good to see Rohit Sharma back, he did right to smash the bowlers. What’s the need to finish the game at the last overs and take it deep? Rohit hammered the bowlers,” Shoaib Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

 

“Disappointing performance… a very disappointing performance. Today, India completely hammered Pakistan. Rohit Sharma was a one-man army. I don't know where was Rohit Sharma in the last couple of years. He is a very big player and has a wide range of shots. He is a complete batter, a complete team,” Shoaib Akhtar explained.

 

On the other hand, Ramiz Raja suggested that the loss would hurt Pakistan for ages.

 

“This should hurt Pakistan because they weren't able to compete. When you're playing against India obviously it's such an environment where it's 99 per cent India fans and crowds, you're obviously overwhelmed. I understand all of that. But Babar Azam has led this side for a good four or five years, so you've got to rise to the occasion. If you can't win, then at least compete. Pakistan weren't able to do that,” Ramiz Raja told the ICC.

 

“It's a reality and Pakistan have got to do something about it. They can't be termed as ‘chokers' against India because that's not a great tag to have. Somehow it's a mental block, it's a skill block as well. Credit to India for maintaining their presence in World Cup competitions against Pakistan, it's not an easy match for India also because there are emotions involved, there are expectations involved. Then you're supposed to win because it has been happening for so many years that this can get you under a little bit of extra pressure. But they've handled it so well,” Ramiz Raja added.

 

“It's going to hurt them. It's a scarring, it's a pasting, it's a battering and they've been outpaced and outplayed in all the three departments. Babar Azam and the senior players will have to rally around some of the young kids and have got to find an answer. They've got to be brutally honest in those team meetings. I think that is where Pakistan need to start. On the drawing board saying that our spin has been struggling, we shouldn't get out after scoring 50 or a 49, and what were the tailenders doing?,” Ramiz Raja quipped.

 

Meanwhile, legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram was left furious by head coach Mickey Arthur, who blamed the partisan crowd in Ahmedabad for the defeat of the Babar Azam-led team.

“Look, I'd be lying if I said it did [not affect us]. It didn't seem like an ICC event to be brutally honest. It seemed like a bilateral series; it seemed like a BCCI event. I didn't hear Dil Dil Pakistan coming through the microphones too often tonight,” Mickey Arthur said after Pakistan's lop-sided defeat. 

Furious with Mickey Arthur's remarks, Wasim Akram launched a sharp attack on the Pakistan team director.

“Bhaiya hame ye batao aap logo ne kya plan kiya tha? (Brother, tell me what was the plan?) Kuldeep Yadav ko kaese khelna hai? (How did you prepare to play Kuldeep Yadav?) That's what we want to hear. Not this random stuff. You think you can get away with this. No, you can't, unfortunately,” Wasim Akram said in a chat on A-Sports. 

Similar views were echoed by Wasim Akram's former teammate Moin Khan.

“(He) diverting attention. A lot of people are disheartened and you're making them emotional. I think he should discuss what is his job as a professional rather than showing a new path. As a coach, he shouldn't have said that,” Moin Khan noted.

 

“We should praise them (BCCI or making the most of the home crowd). Hamare yahan event ho so ham bhi isi tarah utilize karen. (If we host such events, we should also utilize them). We should learn from them,” he summed up.