Wasim Akram on Thursday hit back at being accused for match-fixing during his playing days and former teammate Aamir Sohail blaming the pace ace for Pakistan not winning a World Cup since 1992.
“Whenever I hear these negative things about myself I feel very sad,” Akram said on a web show. “It has been 17 years since I retired but even today, there are some people using my name to promote themselves.”
Akram said refrained from any mud-slinging. “I can also make negative comments about these people but what purpose will it serve? That is why I keep quiet. I just think about the respect and love I have earned from the people over the years, and even 17 years after retirement,” the former skipper added.
Sohail, also a former Pakistan captain, slammed the Pakistan selectors for favouring Akram ahead of World Cup years. The left-armer led his side during the 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups. In the ‘96 edition, Sohail was drafted in as the skipper after Akram pulled of Pakistan’s high-voltage quarter-final clash against India in Bengaluru.
“It’s very simple. Put the 1992 World Cup to one side and talk about the 1996 World Cup. In 1995, Ramiz Raja was captain. Saleem Malik was the captain before that, he was very successful and if he could have spent one more year as captain then Wasim would not have been leading the side,” Sohail was quoted as saying by Dawn.
“If you look at what happened till 2003, there was this persistence before every World Cup to remove the captain and put Wasim Akram in that role...Look, the biggest contribution by Wasim Akram for Pakistan cricket was making sure Pakistan does not win a World Cup after 92,” he added.
Former Pakistan pacer Ata ur Rehman and former PCB chiefs, Khalid Mahmood and Lt General (retd) Tauqir Zia, have also mentioned Akram’s name while discussing the match-fixing allegations of the 90s and the Justice Malik Qayyum report.