Legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram has opened up about a long-held grievance from the 1996 World Cup quarterfinal against India. Despite decades of criticism accusing him of deliberately skipping the high-stakes match, Akram revealed that some of his former teammates actually tried to shift the blame onto him.
Speaking on the show Batana hi Padega, Akram recounted that he had injured his abdominal muscle while playing a sweep shot against Dion Nash in Pakistan’s prior game against New Zealand. Despite taking four injections on the day of the Bengaluru match, the injury was too severe to bowl, requiring six to eight weeks for recovery.
“I sometimes fail to understand their thought process. Our very own cricketers had a role to play. All those who played under me, including the vice-captain, started it. ‘We should escape the blame, and the axe should fall on him,’” Akram said.
He revealed a startling detail for the first time: “It’s embarrassing to know that all these former cricketers speak against me. I overheard their conversation the night before. 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).”
Back then, media scrutiny was less intense than today, but rumors quickly spread that Akram had intentionally avoided the game. Akram firmly dismissed such claims, asserting that he has never once considered abandoning his team.
“This is not some gully cricket, boss. 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?” he asked.
Akram’s candid revelation sheds new light on the controversies that have shadowed his career for decades, reaffirming his commitment to the Pakistan cricket team even in the most high-pressure situations.