During England’s tour of Pakistan in October-December 2005, Andrew Flintoff and Shoaib Akhtar had a notable sledging exchange. Tensions between the two players escalated into a verbal altercation during the second Test in Faisalabad, which had immediate consequences on the field. During the tour, England, led by Michael Vaughan in Tests, lost the three-match series 2-0 and the five-match ODI series 3-2.
Shoaib Akhtar had fiercely assaulted Flintoff previous to his exit, calling him fat several times during the game. As he stepped out to bat, the England all-rounder chose to respond with his own remark. According to Flintoff, he made a joke about Akhtar’s appearance and bowling style in an attempt to stop the sledging.
Flintoff revealed that his well-known quip was a response to Shoaib Akhtar’s frequent comments about his weight, which he eventually decided to cease.
Flintoff decided to give Shoaib Akhtar a taste of his own medicine since he was motivated to respond. “I’m not having this, I’m going to nip this in the bud,” he said. I called him as I left. The two cricket players’ talk became an unforgettable event.
Then, recalling his blunt reply to the Pakistani fast bowler, Flintoff added, “I said, ‘Shoaib, it’s all right, you look like Tarzan but you bowl like Jane.'” This statement immediately troubled me. The England all-rounder instantly understood that his comments had backfired.
According to Flintoff, Shoaib Akhtar reacted almost immediately on the pitch.
“I walked out to bat, I think first, or second ball, me off stump was cart-wheeling back as he knocked it over,” he said. “And then, as I walked off, he gave it the big hooahhhoah,” Flintoff concluded.
“You look like Tarzan, but bowl like Jane, and then that triggered you, right?” Niroula asked Shoaib Akhtar during the well-known Kathmandu Podcast conversation. In response, Akhtar explained the events preceding the incident, which occurred at an Australian competition.
Given Australia’s dominance at the time, Shoaib Akhtar admitted that he was not optimistic about his team’s prospects. “It was a very stupid idea, because Australia was at his best, and no matter who you play against, Australia is just going to win,” he said.
He further claimed that, despite his reservations, he agreed to participate due to financial incentives. “There is a World Championship happening, I wasn’t that keen to play that, but they are paying so much money,” Shoaib Akhtar said. “So, I was like, ‘Okay, might as well just play a couple of games and that’s it’ because I was injured,” he said.
The Pakistani fast bowler also stated that his knee injury hampered his tournament plans and disrupted his preparations. “I had my knee injury, and I had to take a couple of injections to get fit on,” he said. “So, I thought, ‘You know, let’s go out there and play a few games and take money and probably, say, rest me,” he said.
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Flintoff’s perception of Akhtar could have been influenced by his eventual removal from the team. “They dropped me anyway,” he remarked. “So, he got the impression from me that he isn’t serious about this whole cricket thing,” Akhtar said, speculating on how the England all-rounder would have interpreted his attitude.
