Former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram recently released his autobiography ‘Sultan: A Memoir’ which throws light on the left-arm pacer’s illustrious career. The book unearths certain startling claims by Akram related to incidents of his playing career.
Akram, in his book, opened up on the allegations, calling the former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif a Lobbyist as Latif revealed in an interview in 2000 that he was offered some amount to bowl out under 300 in Lord’s Test. Akram said that he never talked about this before, he only revealed this when he wanted attention.
“The lobbyists were at work. In July 2000, Rashid Latif gave an interview to The Sunday Telegraph in which he claimed to have been offered around INR 15 lakhs to ensure Pakistan were bowled out for under 300 in the 1996 Lord’s Test. And who knows? Maybe he had. But had he told me, his captain, at the time? No. Had he reported it to his coach or manager? No. Had he told Qayyum? No. Amazingly, these stories only ever came out when he wanted attention,” read an excerpt from Akram’s autobiography, as per a report by cricket Pakistan.
‘The zombie figure of Aamir Sohail’- Wasim Akram
Akram has also called former teammate Aamir Sohail a ‘Zombie figure’. Some years ago, Sohail had claimed that Wasim tried his best to make sure Pakistan did not win a World Cup after 1992.
“I was publicly reinstated as captain for the DMC Trophy in Toronto. The clamor for change was satisfied by a new coach, Wasim Raja, and new selectors: Wasim’s brother Ramiz, Naushad Ali, and Abdur Raquib. They recalled, after his tireless lobbying, the zombie figure of Aamir Sohail,” another excerpt of the read.
He did not even spare his long-time pace, bowling partner, Waqar Younis too. “Waqar, by then (2003) was not in our best XI. He was made captain because of Tauqir, and Tauqir was a nuisance. Shoaib, for example, took it into his head to contact Tauqir directly with a request that he be joined by his own doctor, Tauseef Razzaq,” an excerpt stated.
