"People May Talk About Wasim Akram, One Of The Best Left-Armers, But In Pakistan, ‘He’s A Match-Fixer’ And That Hurts A Lot" - Former Pakistan Pacer Wasim Akram
Published - 05 Nov 2022, 02:44 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:14 AM
Former Pakistan left-arm seamer Wasim Akram has admitted that the tag of “match-fixer” in his home country still hurts him. The cricketer-turned-commentator revealed that it was one of the most difficult times in his life and that recalling the memories of those incidents is painful.
Several Pakistani cricketers, including Akram, were under investigation by Justice Malik Muhammad Qayyum for match-fixing during various matches in the 1990s.
While he was prohibited from captaining Pakistan again and fined, the 56-year-old escaped serious punishment due to a lack of evidence. Middle-order batter Saleem Malik and a right-arm pacer, Ata-ur-Rehman received life bans after the match-fixing controversy.
“He’s A Match-Fixer” That Hurts A Lot – Wasim Akram
Speaking to The Guardian, the former pace bowler said that he was treated very differently in Pakistan and England.
Wasim Akram made a shocking comment about his relationship with Salim Malik. The former ace seamer accused the middle-order batsman of being one of the most untrustworthy men, and he hadn’t met him in years.
He Was A Guy That You Never Trust – Wasim Akram
“He was a guy that you never trust. People change over time, though. I just don’t know him now. I have moved on in life, my father taught me to forgive and forget. I don’t burn bridges or seek revenge, life is very short,” he said.
“I think I was the only cricketer who wasn’t friendly with these guys. After Imran Khan and Javed Miandad retired, there was no one left to control the dressing room. It was so self-destructive. Imagine me playing with people who did that to me? There was just so much distrust. The cricket board should have been stronger, with strong managers and coaches.”
