Ever since that India vs Pakistan ODI in Kanpur in 2007, former India opener Gautam Gambhir and former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi have been at loggerheads. The duo had a heated argument in that match which it seems has stayed with them. After taking numerous pot-shots at each other, Afridi once again fuelled the rivalry by saying that Gambhir, the human being, has some issues.

While maintaining that he has always liked Gambhir’s batting, Afridi said the former India opener at times says certain things which make him realise that he has some problems.

“As a cricketer, as a batsman, I’ve liked him always but as a human being he sometimes says certain things, gives certain treatment that you feel just let it be, he has some problems. His physio has already highlighted that,” Afridi to Zainab Abbas in an interview.

Lala on Gautam Gambhir.. pic.twitter.com/V3LcvNsCsY

— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) July 5, 2020

The former Pakistan captain was highlighting Paddy Upton’s comment on Gambhir in the former’s book.

Upton, who had worked as a mental conditioner with the Indian team between 2009 and 2011, recalled how Gambhir would be in “agony” even after scoring a hundred and stressing more on the mistakes he might have made.

“Using the popular notion of mental toughness, he was one of the weakest and mentally most insecure’ people I have worked with,” Upton had written in his book.

Gambhir’s response was, “I wanted myself and Indian team to be the best in the world. That’s why I was not satisfied even after scoring 100 as it has been mentioned in Paddy’s book. I see nothing wrong there. As a driven individual, I have tried to raise the bar for myself alone.”

The left-hander’s response to Afridi, who had termed him as ‘who has attitude problems’ in his autobiography, was, however, a lot different.

“You are a hilarious man!!! Anyway, we are still granting visas to Pakistanis for medical tourism. I will personally take you to a psychiatrist,” Gambhir had tweeted after Afridi had called the former a cross between James Bond and Don Bradman. “In Karachi we call guys like him saryal (burnt up). It’s simple, I like happy, positive people. Doesn’t matter if they are aggressive or competitive, but you have to be positive and Gambhir wasn’t,” he wrote in his autobiography.

A few months later, Gambhir and Afridi were also involved in a heated argument when the latter had commented on Kashmir.