Shahid Afridi speaks on his rivalry with Gautam Gambhir
What's the story
Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi has spoken about his long-standing rivalry with India's current head coach, Gautam Gambhir. The animosity between the two cricketing stars goes back to a 2007 ODI match in Kanpur, where they had a fiery exchange on the field. The incident started their decade-long hatred, which went beyond cricket and into social media.
Flashpoint
The 2007 incident that sparked the rivalry
The 2007 incident that sparked Afridi and Gambhir's rivalry was when Gambhir bumped into Afridi while going for a quick single in the 20th over of the match. The confrontation soon turned into a war of words and physical aggression, before on-field umpire Ian Gould intervened. Both players were later fined for their behavior, marking the first chapter of their intense rivalry.
Perspective
Afridi's take on his rivalry with Gambhir
In a recent interview with Pakistan's Geo News, Afridi gave his side of the story on the rivalry. He said Gambhir had similar incidents with other players as well, but their altercations got the most attention. "It was not just with me that Gautam had it. It happened with other players as well, players from Australia, South Africa, England, etc," Afridi said.
Coaching assessment
Afridi's views on Gambhir as India's head coach
Afridi also spoke about Gambhir's role as India's head coach, acknowledging his successful stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He said, "Gautam has been the coach of KKR and won, which means he has delivered something that the team won." Afridi stressed that coaching a national team is a huge responsibility and asked everyone to be patient as every system takes time to show results.