Former Pakistan fast bowler ** Shoaib Akhtar ** recently revealed what strict measures he and spinner ** Saqlain Mushtaq ** had taken to play in the 1998-99 India tour. In a discussion (which appeared on platforms like Tapmad and Viral Clips), Akhtar admitted that both the bowlers were suffering from serious knee injuries, but secretly took **pills and injections** to manage the pain and stay on the field.
Akhtar said his knees were “always swollen” and filled with fluid, requiring drainage and injections, while Saqlain’s problem dates back to 1996 (Akhtar’s knees were damaged in 1997). He said: “His knees got damaged in 1996, and I got my knees damaged in front of him in 1997. And now both of us used to secretly take pills and injections to play matches. If any senior had known this, they would have thrown Saqlain out. I was their target anyway.” Some reports described these items as “banned”, implying a possible doping risk, although Akhtar attributed this to pain management under the pressure of performing in high-stakes rivalries—he feared he would be expelled if exposed.
Amidst the physical exhaustion, the competitive banter continued: Akhtar and Saqlain made a friendly bet on who would dismiss **Sachin Tendulkar**. Recalling the Chennai and Delhi matches, Akhtar mentioned Saqlain’s wickets (10-plus wickets in both the matches) and their conversation—“He said he would get Sachin out… I said, ‘No, this time I will, it’s my turn.’”
The 1998–99 series (Asian Test Championship/Test) was iconic, with Akhtar delivering memorable spells (eg, dismissing Tendulkar in Kolkata) despite internal fitness issues.
Akhtar compared this ordeal to today’s frustrations, and referred to Pakistan’s heavy Super Eights defeat to England in the T20 World Cup 2026 in Pallekele. *The Game is On* On the show, he vented his frustration about the leadership of captain **Salman Ali Aga**, calling him “unfit to captain” and criticizing tactical decisions (e.g., less use of spinners), which was a sharp departure from his pre-match expectation that England would miss out on helping Pakistan (and perhaps knock India out).
Akhtar’s statement reflects the intense India-Pakistan rivalry of that era, where players made huge personal sacrifices for the country’s pride, which reflects the change in the gap between bilateral matches from 2012-13 to today’s psychologically driven contests.
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