Former Pakistan fast bowler Wasim Akram has made a shocking revelation about the aftermath of the loss against India during the 1996 World Cup quarterfinals. The cricketer-turned-commentator said that some of his teammates tried to shift the blame onto him, making him a scapegoat to escape criticism.
Akram still faces criticism over an incident from 1996, when he missed the World Cup quarterfinal against India. For nearly 30 years, many have accused him of skipping the knockout match on purpose, but the former Pakistan skipper has always maintained that an injury prevented him from playing.
I Took Four Injections in the Morning – Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram stated that an abdominal muscle injury ruled him out of the match against India. He said that the injury happened while playing a sweep shot against Dion Nash in an earlier match against New Zealand, and despite treatment from the physio, he could not recover in time for the India game.
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“I sometimes fail to understand their thought process. Our very own cricketers had a role to play. All those who played under me, including our vice-captain, started it,” Akram said on the show ‘Batana hi Padega’.
“‘We should escape the blame, and the axe should fall on him.’ I took four injections the morning of the match, but the muscle pull was so bad that you simply can’t bowl. It needs 6-8 weeks to heal,” he added.
Heard Them Saying ‘Ispe Blame Daal Dete Hain’ – Wasim Akram
Akram revealed that he overheard some of his teammates planning to blame him for the defeat. He said that several players stopped talking to him after the loss, and he heard 5-6 teammates discussing how to protect themselves by putting the responsibility on him.
“It’s embarrassing to know that all these former cricketers speak against me. I overheard their conversation the night before. No one was speaking to me after he lost the match,” Akram stated.
“They were scared, and these 5-6 guys were sitting in a room. When I was crossing, I heard them saying ‘ispe blame daal dete hain dekh lenge kya hoga (Let’s put the blame on him, and we’ll see what happens).”
As Pakistan Captain Against India and in India – Wasim Akram
At the time, media attention was far lower than it is today, but rumors were that Wasim Akram had pulled out of the match on purpose. He played in three India-Pakistan World Cup matches in 1992, 1999, and 2003.
Akram said that he never once thought about leaving his team. He made it clear that playing for Pakistan as captain against India, especially in India, was a matter of pride, and he would never walk away from such a moment.
“This is not some gully cricket, boss. Explain to me, please. I am playing for Pakistan, and as its captain, against India and in India. Do you really think I would back out at the last minute?” asked Akram.
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