Saqlain Mushtaq: “When he came, he offered me coffee. We talked for 30 minutes. I was ashamed of myself that I had thought that he [thought] highly of himself. He guided me and asked me about my knee”
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Legendary Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq said he was ashamed he thought former India captain Sourav Ganguly was very full of himself.
Due to this, Saqlain didn’t want to talk to him and kept any conversations he had very brief.
But, after he underwent a knee operation, in 2003/04, he recalled how Ganguly brought him a coffee and they spoke for 30 minutes. During their chat, the former BCCI president also asked him whether his knee was healing well.
“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,” he told Sportskeeda as quoted by NDTV.
“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 [thought] highly of himself. He guided me and asked me about my knee.”
Saqlain will not coach Pakistan during their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan from March 25 to 28 as Abdul Rehman was announced as the team’s head coach.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan:Â Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan
Reserve players: Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah, Usama Mir