Former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram, widely regarded as one of the finest cricketers of all time, would easily make it to most of the best all-time playing XIs. One of the most feared pacers of his generation, Akram bagged more than 900 wickets in his career. While he is respected by the cricketing spectrum across the globe, he expressed his disappointment to being called ‘a match-fixer’ by the social media generation of Pakistan.
Akram, who was accused of match-fixing during a contest between Pakistan and New Zealand in 1996, said that while across the globe he is referred to as one of the greatest pacers to have played the game, the social media generation in Pakistan refers to him as a match-fixer.
“In Australia, England, West Indies and India, when they talk about the World XI, when they talk about the best bowler in the world, my name pops up but in Pakistan, this generation, this social media generation, they are the one who come down, every comment they send, they say, ‘oh, he is a match fixer’, not knowing what it was. I have passed that stage in my life where I have to worry about people,” Akram told World Wide Sports.
Akram’s withdrawal from the World Cup 1996 clash against Team India was also widely criticised.
As reported by Geo.tv, a committee was formed in 2000 to look into the match-fixing allegations against Akram and other cricketers in Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman. After the report was published, while Akram was given the benefit of doubt, Malik and Rehman were found guilty.
“The evidence against Wasim Akram has not come up to the requisite level, primarily because of Ata-ur-Rehman’s perjuring himself. This Commission is willing to give him the benefit of doubt,” the report stated, as quoted by Geo.tv.
“However, there has been some evidence to cast doubt on his integrity. As such, this Commission recommends that he be removed from the captaincy of the Pakistan Cricket Team and a person of impeccable character be appointed. Moreover, he should be censured, kept under watch, and his finances should be investigated,” it added.
