Shahid Afridi recalls on-field battles with Gautam Gambhir

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has recalled his on-field battles with Indian opening batter Gautam Gambhir, terming him a ‘different character’ than others.

The rivalry between India and Pakistan is one of the fiercest ones in international cricket as the two Asian heavyweights have engaged in several intense battles over the years.

As the stakes are high during the clash, the tempers have often flared on the pitch with players getting involved in heated verbal battles.

During an interview, Shahid Afridi was asked about one of the most famous on-field battle with Gautam Gambhir in an India-Pakistan ODI in 2007.

When asked whether he could provoke Gambhir a lot during his playing days, the former all-rounder said sledging is part and parcel of the game, calling the left-handed batters a ‘different character’ than others.

“These things go on cricket. It’s normal. And I feel it has been more hyped up in social media,” Afridi said.

Speaking about Gambhir, he said: “He has a different character from that of normal players. His reputation is the same in Team India as well. It is not like it was only with me.”

Since that spat in 2007, the duo has been at loggerheads with each other and have openly expressed their disagreement in both cricket and political issues.

Further praising Gambhir, Afridi stated that he’s a terrific timer of the ball and very few Indian batters have that skill.

“Very few Indian batters I’ve seen having such good timing with the bat. He is an outstanding player,” the former Pakistan skipper added.