'I was all over the place...,' Shoaib Akhtar names his TOUGHEST OPPONENT from India's 2003-04 tour of Pakistan
Shoaib Akhtar makes BIG claim, reveals why he said NO to leading Pakistan in 2002.
Former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was a menace to batsmen worldwide during his playing days. His express pace, mean bouncer and lethal yorker made him unplayable on days when he was onsong. Shoaib was a force to reckon with during the 2003/04 India tour of Pakistan as well, but there was one batsman before whom the great 'Rawalpindi Express' was all over the place.
“I remember that my toughest opponent. I used to feel threatened by this batsman was SV Balaji. No not him, another Balaji, he was a bowler …. Lakshmipathy Balaji,” Akhtar said on podcast Wake Up With Sorabh.
"He used to hit me after coming to bat in the endovers. He used to hate me like anything. I was all over the place man I could not get him out,” he recalled.
Also Read:CWC '23: New Zealand announce 15-man squad, Indian origin all-rounder Rachin Ravindra included
In one of the iconic moments of the ODI leg of the tour, Lakshmipathy Balaji had hit Akhtar over mid-wicket for a six, leaving the express pacer dumbfounded. The incident had occurred in the series decider and Balaji's six helped India post a formidable total of 293 which Pakistan had failed to chase down.
Ironically, Balaji also took the last wicket of the series to hand India the game and a 3-2 series victory in the five-match series. During the series, Balaji batted three times, scoring 45 runs with a best of 21 not out at a staggering strike rate of 160. Talking about his main suit, bowling, the right-hand medium-pace bowler took six wickets in five games, the third highest for India behind Zaheer Khan's eight and Irfan Pathan's seven in a batter-dominated series.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
During the Test leg, Balaji was even more effective, taking 12 wickets in three matches, playing his role in India's 2-1 win in the series. Overall, Balaji played eight Tests, 20 ODIs and five T20Is for India, taking 27, 24 and 10 wickets, respectively.
WATCH WION LIVE HERE
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
