One of the most intriguing battles of all time in the game of cricket has been between Virender Sehwag and Shoaib Akhtar. The two shared an intense rivalry on the field and even after leaving the game long back, they still take a dig at each other off the field every now and then.
It’s time for the Indian batsman and Pakistani pacer to lock horns with each other on a cricket pitch again. The only difference will be that the pitch will be made of ice this time. The match would take place at the frozen lake in St. Moritz, Switzerland, which has a scenic background of the Swiss Alps. The tournament is scheduled to be played on the 8th and 9th of February.
Apart from Sehwag and Akhtar, a few other international cricketers will also feature in the tournament. The likes of Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Lasith Malinga, Mahela Jayawardene, Michael Hussey, Daniel Vettori, Nathan McCullum, Grant Elliot, Mohammad Kaif, Monty Panesar and Owais Shah will be seen trying their hand at the new form of cricket.
Sehwag is excited about ice cricket
Virender Sehwag reckons playing on ice will be interesting but also mentioned that he will have to prepare for it given he hung up his boots from the game 2 years ago.
“I never thought playing cricket on ice was possible but now that it is happening, I wanted to experience it. It won’t be serious cricket but it would still be a challenge to play on ice. Five minutes to be honest. Cricket is not popular in Europe but with this initiative, we can make an impact. And playing on ice does sound very interesting.” Sehwag told according to the PTI.
“I was still playing First-Class cricket in 2015 so it was not very difficult to play those matches. Now since I have stopped playing the game completely, it will be a challenge to get into the groove. But there will be no pressure to win or lose. Also, now that I am retired I don’t need to take anyone’s permission including the BCCI,” Sehwag added.