Shoaib Akhtar, the former Pakistani cricketer, has always been a big fan of Bollywood. Movies specifically of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan were his favourites and he grew up watching Hindi films only because of them. Akhtar’s love for Bollywood had a big impact on his life. It helped him to develop his personality and his confidence. It also helped him become a more marketable cricketer.
In 2008, he got two opportunities, which were big achievements for him. First he got to play for Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in IPL, second, he got invited to attend Salman Khan’s party. Playing for KKR gave Akhtar a platform to showcase his talent to a wider audience and hence a well-known celebrity.
Recently in a chat show ‘Wake Up With Sorabh’, we learnt about his beliefs. He told Pant that today he is a star only because of the two Khans in Bollywood. “Salman Khan has always been my favourite and I also like Shah Rukh. I actually have to thank both of them because had they not come into my life, I wouldn’t have become a star.” The 48-year-old cricketer shared, “I used to copy Salman and Shah Rukh all the time. I also used to copy Waqar Younis’ run-up and also Wasim Akram.”
He also talked about how he has a good connection with Sachin Tendulkar, “I was really lucky to be friends with Sachin. I got along with him really well. People feel we are enemies but that’s really not the case.”
Shoaib Akhtar is a rare cricketer, who is equally popular in India and Pakistan. He considers it an honour to be appreciated by fans from both countries and he is committed to using his platform to promote regular cricket between the two nations.
