Akram reflects on long friendship with Irfan Pathan while calling for sportsmanship

During the same podcast episode, Akram reminisced about his decades‑long relationship with former Indian all‑rounder Irfan Pathan. He recalled meeting the young left‑arm pacer in 2004 during Pakistan’s tour of Australia, offering him tips and noting the similarity in their bowling actions. While acknowledging occasional disagreements over Pathan’s social‑media posts, Akram stressed that differing opinions do not erode mutual respect, and that both players continue to meet and share cricketing insights.