“Had My Apprehensions About Sourav Ganguly…”: When Saqlain Mushtaq Was Left Surprised By India Captain

While the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan have produced many folklores, the tales of friendship between the two countries also abound in the sporting landscape of the two countries. Cricketers from both countries have said how they received love from the other country. One such tale was narrated by Pakistan head coach and former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq regarding ex-India captain and current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.

“I had my apprehensions about Sourav Ganguly before I first spoke to him. There are some people with whom you don’t feel like talking or interacting. He was India’s captain and a legend without doubt. However, whenever we met, it was always “hello”, “hi” and nothing more. I had a feeling that he thinks very highly of himself,” he told SportsKeeda. “So I never talked to him.”

“After my knee operation in 2003-04, Ganguly was there on that tour and Sachin Tendulkar as well. Sachin had just had an elbow injury. I was playing a side match against India. It was my first match after rehab and I had to play county for Sussex as the cricket season was starting,” added Saqlain.

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“Ganguly brought two cups of coffee. The roofs of the two dressing rooms were together. There was just a small wall in between. You could either jump or come from behind. He jumped with two coffee cups in hands and came to meet me. I was shocked and was wondering what he was doing here. When he came, he offered me coffee. We talked for 30 minutes. I was ashamed of myself that I had thought that he think highly of himself. He guided me and asked me about my knee.”

The Mushtaq-coached Pakistan will face India in their first match of the 2022 T20 World Cup on October 23.