Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar on Wednesday said that India-Pakistan should help each other during the coronavirus crisis as it is not about countries or religion at this point in time but humanity.

“If India can make 10,000 ventilators for us, Pakistan will remember this gesture forever,” Akhtar said as quoted by PTI.

Earlier, Indian cricketing legends Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were trolled for urging fans to donate for former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi’s charity.

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On this, Akhtar replied: “It was inhuman to criticise them. It is not about countries or religion at the moment, it is about humanity.”

One of the fastest pacers ever to grace the game, Akhtar fondly remembered the time he spent in India as a commentator.

“I am forever grateful about the love I have received from the people of India. For the first time I am revealing this, whatever I used to earn from India, I made a significant amount there, thirty percent of it, I used to distribute among the low income staff who used to work with me in the TV,” he stated.

The 44-year-old would visit the slum areas in Mumbai with his face covered and hand over financial help to the needy and the underprivileged.

“From drivers, runners to my security guys. I took care of a lot of people. I was like if am earning from this country, I have to help my colleagues also,” he said.

“I also remember visiting slums of Dharavi and Sion in the wee hours to meet people I worked with,” he added.

The former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) star, also known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express’, proposed a three-match ODI series between India and Pakistan to raise funds for the fight against COVID-19.

Notably, the two nations have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2007 due to tensed diplomatic relationships between the two countries. Both the teams only meet each other in ICC events.