The two countries may rekindle their cricket rivalry time and again but off the field, many players have always maintained great relationships. Along with the spirit and camaraderie comes a little bit of leg-pulling too.
“Dhoni bows out in style. A spectacular strike into the crowd! After 28 years, India finally wins the World Cup! “Ravi Shastri said this after MS Dhoni hit a six against Nuwan Kulasekara in the 2011 World Cup final. The Wankhede crowd was on its feet after India won the World Cup for the first time in nearly three decades. Dhoni’s hit, which came after a wave of celebration, is still ringing in the ears of every fan who was glued to the TV set on April 2, 2011.
But before facing Sri Lanka in the summit clash, India locked horns with Pakistan in the semi-final. It was India who advanced further with a 29-run win over their western neighbours. The two countries may rekindle their cricket rivalry time and again but off the field, many players have always maintained great relationships. Along with the spirit and camaraderie comes a little bit of leg-pulling too.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh recounted an exchange with Pakistani star Shoaib Akhtar in which the Pakistani asked him to arrange tickets for the semi-final. The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ also demanded tickets for the tournament final in Mumbai. Harbhajan was prepared with an appropriate response.
“When Akhtar met me, he said: ‘There’s a lot of pressure but not about the match. It’s about getting tickets’. He told me that his family was coming from Pakistan and I agreed to arrange a couple of tickets for him. Thereafter, he asked me if I can get him tickets for the next match (final) as well. I asked him ‘you’re going to Mumbai?’ to which he responded ‘yes, that’s where the final is’,” said Harbhajan on Star Sports ahead of the Asia Cup 2022.
“I laughed and avoided his request but wondered ‘why is he so confident?’. But I saw the next day that he (Shoaib) wasn’t even playing the semi-final. I arranged a ticket but it wasn’t for the final. I booked one for Lahore,” he quipped.
Anamika 
Harsh