Former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar recently entertained teammates with a humorous story about his alleged friendship with Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif during a dinner in New Zealand. The anecdote was shared by Wahab Riaz, a former left-arm fast bowler and chief selector, during a recent interview on a private television channel.
While hosting the program, Tabish Hashmi asked cricketers to identify the player most likely to fabricate stories, to which all responses pointed to Shoaib Akhtar. In response to this, Riaz recounted an amusing incident involving Akhtar and several teammates, including Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq, Ahmed Shahzad, and Umer Akmal.
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“We were having dinner in Shoaib Akhtar’s room, and while Katrina Kaif’s song ‘Sheila Ki Jawani’ played on the TV, Shoaib Bhai confidently claimed that she is a good friend of his,” Riaz recalled. He noted that Akhtar had recently participated in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he met Katrina Kaif through his connection with actor Salman Khan.
Team’s reactions
Wahab Riaz described the moment when Mohammad Hafeez, who had also played in the same IPL season, was taken aback by Akhtar’s assertion. Stopping his meal, Hafeez folded his hands and implored, “Look at my hands, don’t lie for God’s sake.”
In response, Akhtar playfully challenged Hafeez, saying, “Are you calling me a liar? I definitely met Katrina.” The humorous exchange culminated in Akhtar asking his teammates to leave the room, resulting in their meal being wasted.
Riaz fondly characterized Shoaib Akhtar as a “great personality” who never fails to entertain his friends and teammates with his lively stories and larger-than-life persona.
