Shoaib Akhtar Sends Warm Birthday Wishes to Sourav Ganguly

The former India skipper, Sourav Ganguly turns 46 on Sunday, and the whole cricketing fraternity poured in wishes for the charismatic left-handed batsman. One of the prominent wishers was former Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar who has had several duels with the southpaw in his cricketing days.

Despite troubling him with his pace and bounce, Akhtar has immense self-respect for Ganguly who changed the complexion of Indian cricket in the early 2000’s.

“1 of most important Cricketer & captain in Hindustan history the person who made India believe that they can win against Pakistan & abroad .. Sourav Ganguly.. happy birthday wish you best ..#SouravGanguly,” Akhtar was quoted as saying in his Twitter handle.

The “Rawalpindi Express” had troubled Ganguly quite a few times during his career. The southpaw being a predominantly offside player struggled to pick his deliveries which were directed towards the body.

1 of most important Crickter & captain in Hindustan history the person who made India believe that they can win against Pakistan & abroad ..
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Akhtar in an interview revealed Ganguly being a great batter was never afraid of him. It was just that Ganguly’s inability on the leg side was the main reason for his downfall.

However, the southpaw managed to play a few memorable innings against Pakistan. He scored only Test double century against Pakistan in Bangalore just a year before retiring from international cricket.

Ganguly one of the finest skippers in the world

There is no doubt about the fact that Ganguly is one of the finest skippers in the world cricket. It was under his captaincy that India scaled new heights during the early 2000’s. They were the 2^nd best team especially in the shortest format after Australia. He also gave the team an opportunity to express themselves on the field.

He was never shy of taking their oppositions on, and it was under his tenure that India started winning in overseas conditions on a consistent basis.

During the 2003/04 tour in Australia, Ganguly led his troops quite brilliantly and managed to draw the series 1-1. All and sundry appreciated his leadership skills. He also took India to the final of the World Cup in 2003.