‘Your teammates are celebrating’: Shoaib Malik recalls Yuvraj Singh’s advice after 2017 Champions Trophy final
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who was part of the Pakistan team that won the Champions Trophy in 2017, recalled a special moment which he shared with India’s Yuvraj Singh after the memorable match.
The 2017 Champions Trophy final could not have a better script. It was a battle between the two great cricket rivals India and Pakistan. India had already defeated Pakistan once in the tournament. With India having a tremendous record over their neighbours in the ICC tournaments, Pakistan were seen as the underdogs. But India’s famed batting order, comprising of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni, buckled under pressure in a 339-run chase. Despite a late show from Hardik Pandya, Pakistan won the match by 180 runs to win the trophy.
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik, who was part of the Pakistan team that won the Champions Trophy in 2017, recalled a special moment which he shared with India’s Yuvraj Singh after the memorable match.
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“In terms of winning that tournament in 2017, yes it was a great feeling to win another ICC Trophy, but I have another memory that is very special to me,” Malik told PakPassion.net.
The right-hander, who is married to India tennis star Sania Mirza, recalled that he was having a conversation with Yuvraj at the dining hall after the match, when the left-hander gave him a great advice.
“I remember after the final at The Oval against India sitting in the dining hall talking to Yuvraj Singh and we were just chatting and he said, ‘Your team-mates are celebrating, don’t miss out on this special moment, you should be celebrating with them.’ It is just a small example of how cricket generates very good friendships no matter where we come from.” Malik said.
“Yes, we do battle on the field and we try our best to win for our country, but off the field, we can still be friends,” he added.
Speaking on resumption of Indo-Pak cricket matches, Malik said: “I think the world badly needs this rivalry to resume, in the same way that world cricket needs the Ashes. Could England and Australia imagine Test cricket without an Ashes series? Both series are played with the same kind of passion and have such a great history, so it is a shame that we don’t play right now.”