Would Have Destroyed Or Killed Wasim Akram Had He Approached Me For Match-Fixing, Says Shoaib Akhtar
Published - 21 Apr 2020, 05:49 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:05 AM
Shoaib Akhtar may have retired from competitive cricket back in 2011 but the former fast bowler makes it a point to stay in the news courtesy his sensational comments in the media and also on his official Youtube channel.
Akhtar was recently in the news for his controversial proposal of staging an India-Pakistan three-match bilateral One-day International series in order to raise funds in the wake of the coronavirus issue.
The former fast bowler is once again in the news for his controversial statement where he has said that he would have destroyed or even killed Wasim Akram had he asked him to fix a match. He, however, added that Wasim did that said any such thing to him
“I will say it very clearly that if Wasim Akram had asked me to do match-fixing, I would have destroyed him or even kill him. But he never said such a thing to me,” Shoaib Akhtar was quoted saying by Pakistan Cricket.
Last year, Akhtar had created a huge furor when he has said that he was basically playing against 21 players during his playing days as he didn’t know which of his teammates were involved in fixing.
“I was always of the belief that I can never cheat Pakistan, no match-fixing but I was surrounded by match-fixers. I was playing against 21 people (sic) — 11 theirs and 10 ours. Who knows who was the match-fixer,” Akhtar had said then.
Wasim Akram used to give me a cover during his playing days: Shoaib Akhtar
However, Shoaib Akhtar, who played 46 Tests and 163 ODIs for Pakistan between 1997-2011 headed high praise on Akram and said that while watching a few videos from the 1990s, he was amazed as to how many times the legendary fast bowler bailed Pakistan out from a hopeless situation.
Akhtar also revealed how Akram used to shield him by taking the responsibility of picking top-order wickets and leaving the tale to him.
“I was watching few matches of the 1990s and I was amazed to see how Wasim Akram got Pakistan through impossible situations with his brilliant bowling. I played with him for seven to eight years and I can quote many instances where he gave me cover by taking the responsibility of picking up the top-order wickets while leaving the tail-enders for me. He even let me bowl from my preferred bowling end even though he had a lot more wickets that I did,” Akhtar added.
The Rawalpindi Express concluded by admitting that he did not admire Wasim Akram much during his playing days, something that he regrets to this day.
Also Read: Jagmohan Dalmiya Saved Shoaib Akhtar’s Career In 2000-01, Reveals Former PCB Cheif
