The deadly COVID-19 outbreak has forced suspension of all on-field sporting activities. But off the field, while in isolation, former/current cricketers are using social media and sharing memories from their playing days.
Recently, former Pakistan opener Aamir Sohail opened up about his much-talked-about argument with India’s Navjot Singh Sidhu during a match in Sharjah in 1996.
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While different versions of the events have been presented over the years, Sohail shared his side of the story as per his recollection.
“Everyone knows Navjot Singh Sidhu. He is one of the big names of cricket. I respect him and he is one of those batsmen I enjoyed watching a lot. He has performed really well against some of the best bowling line-ups in the world,” he stated on his Youtube channel.
The 53-year-old further added that he had confronted Sidhu for not sharing the true story on a couple of occasions.
“In a comedy show, he had talked about an anecdote. I had confronted him about it on a news channel in 2005 when we were talking. He again talked about that incident, and I told him that things had not happened the way he thinks.
“I also told him that Aaqib Javed is in town, and the three of us can sit together and have a discussion on it. Last time, when I was commentating during Asia Cup, this incident was raised again, and I clarified it. But he quoted this anecdote in a different way, so I think, I need to give a clarification on it,” Sohail said.
Giving his version of the event, Sohail added: “The incident took place when I was captaining Pakistan in 1996 in a match at Sharjah against India. Sidhu paaji was batting somewhere in the 90s.”
“In the middle of an over, he came to me angrily and said ‘Aamir paaji, teach your fast bowler. He is doing this wrong’, so I asked him ‘paaji, what happened’. So, he said ‘he’s throwing abuses at me’. So I told him ‘paaji, ignore him.
“He’s a fast bowler, they have a habit of talking’. So he said, ‘no, no, say whatever you want but don’t give abuses’. So I said ‘okay paaji, I will tell him after the game, you go on and play’.
“That’s all that happened, and I don’t know what he is thinking and bringing up this incident. This is the truth,” he explained.
“If there were any sort of abuses that happened between players, then the umpires, who are really strict towards the captains to maintain the code of conduct, they would have penalised. Now, I feel I have clarified this incident,” the former left-handed batsman concluded.
