Former India captain Ajit Wadekar, on Saturday, dismissed claims of former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi that batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was trembling while facing fast bowler and compatriot Shoaib Akhtar as a remark 'borne out of frustration'.
Controversy-prone Afridi has backed his former team-mate Akhtar's claim in his autobiography Controversially Yours that Tendulkar was uncomfortable against his pace, saying he (Afridi) had once witnessed the Indian batsman "trembling" while facing the pacer.
"He (Tendulkar) was scared of Shoaib. I have seen it myself. I was fielding at square leg and saw his legs trembling when Shoaib came on to bowl," Afridi said, in Karachi, on Saturday, without elaborating about which match he was referring to.
"I think it is all a result of frustration. He's talking about someone who has scored 99 international hundreds and has got runs all over the world," Wadekar said, while reacting to Afridi's comments in Pakistan.
"The Indian board is doing well; the Indian team is doing very well barring one series (in England). As a country we are doing very well economically. On the other hand, they (Pakistan players) can't play much (because of refusal of other countries to tour)," Wadekar said.
Asked whether Tendulkar should react to Afridi's comments, and the tall claims made by his one-time team-mate Akhtar in his book, Wadekar said "Why should he? Who are these two in front of Tendulkar? They were not in good terms with their own board (PCB)".
"Thank god Don Bradman is not around playing now, or even his credentials would have been questioned to get cheap publicity," he remarked, with a laugh.
© 2024 Rediff.com -