Sachin Tendulkar‘s six off Shoaib Akhtar at centurion during the 2003 World Cup is a magic moment stuck in the minds of every Indian cricket fan. However, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar pointed out how Indians have ignored the times he dismissed Indian cricket fans’ favorite batsman, Sachin Tendulkar.

“Indians only remember that one six which he hit me in Centurion [during the 2003 ICC World Cup] as it makes them really happy. If I had known that one six makes 1.3 billion people happy, then I would have let him hit me for a six every day,” Shoaib said.

Akhtar named Sachin Tendulkar as the best ever batsmen and expresses how much he enjoyed bowling to the little master. “I had a good time bowling to Sachin Tendulkar. He is one of the greatest batsmen of all-time. But I dismissed him 12-13 times as well,” he said.

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However, those claims are false as Shoaib dismissed Tendulkar only eight times in international cricket. Akhtar has sent Sachin back in the hut five times in ODIs and thrice in Tests. He has also scalped Tendulkar’s wicket in IPL once back in 2008.

Shoaib Akhtar released his autobiography in 2011. IN his book, Shoaib wrote how Sachin Tendulkar feared playing him in a Test in 2006 at Faisalabad.

Akhtar wrote, “We bounced the ball at him and were able to unnerve him. I returned to the dressing room that first day with the knowledge that Sachin was not comfortable facing fast and rising ball. He was distinctly uncomfortable against me. That was enough to build on.”

“I bowled (Sachin) a particularly fastball which he, to my amazement didn’t even touch. He walked away! That was the first time, I saw him walk away from me — that, too, on the slow track at Faisalabad. It got my hunting instincts up and in the next match I hit him on the head and he couldn’t score after that.” Akhtar said.

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However, Wasim Akram falsified Akhtar’s claims. He revealed how the pacer had second thoughts about bowling to Tendulkar after he hit that upper-cut him at Centurian during the 2003 World Cup.

“I remember Shoaib Akhtar walked up to the captain and saying “I’m not able to bowl. I won’t bowl. We had never heard of such a thing. A bowler refusing to bowl after getting hit for fours and sixes. After that six, Shoaib’s confidence in that match had shattered,” Wasim had said.