[VIDEO] Wasim Akram explains why he did not play the 1996 World Cup QF against India

[greatest]

There was rampant match fixing going on in those days , we all remember justice qayyum report. But if a player is going to play a part in fixing he will play the match. Like many other things in pakistan , the report was brushed under the carpet. In my opinion wasim Akram has been the best pakistani captain since i started watching cricket , i dont know what was going on in dressing room but on the field he was magnificient.

That was an era when corruption and commercialism really took off in cricket. If a guy like Hansie Cronje can be involved in these match-fixing practices then Akram and others are not so innocent.
I have a theory that maybe due to the proliferation of useless ODIs, captains thought it doesn't make a difference if we throw a match or two especially when the series is already won. Mind you in those days there weren't separate teams for each format so most of the guys were playing both ODI and Tests plus the 4 day/ODI side games against province/state/counties on tours.

 

[TheSultan]

Yes I have a fantasy for the best batsman off all time. Wasim an ATG bowler no doubt about it but was also very expensive at times. I remember pulling my hair out watching his wides and no balls from my living room. Both were experts in their craft but Sachin was more of a match winner then Wasim was for me. Sachin was a better batsman then Wasim was a bowler.

Bhai sahb, fantasise to your heart's content about sachin, there are plenty of threads where Indian fans wax lyrical about his greatness - you'll feel right at home there.

But in this context your statements are just plain wrong:

No Wasim never got hammered by sachin.

Wasim was not ever considered an expensive bowler.

There were some tournaments e.g. 1992 World Cup where he bowled a lot of no balls and wides, but guess what he was MoM in the WC final too. So, what's your point?

 

[Blistering Barnacle]

Where have I said anything personal against Waz? I am saying that he could be incredibly expensive and bowled so many no balls and wides. His short run up also meant constant back problems throughout his career. Sure Sachin had his faults too but is staill the highest run scorer in tests and odi's. Nuff said.

Wasim Akram was a very economical bowler. Look at his stats. Did he ever get hit a lot? Of course. Every bowler has at some stage or another gotten whacked around. Even the great McGrath got hit for 5 fours in a row by Abdul Razzaq.

Overall though Wasim was one of the great economical bowlers for his era.

 

[Mp812]

So, even Wasim and Waqar used to skip games and that too such high pressure games. Waqar remained injured throughout 1992 World Cup also. I thought Bumrah is the only player in the cricket history to rest games or get injured which results in him skipping matches but even Wasim or Waqar or Shoaib did too.

Wasim /Waqar were probably playing IPL otherwise how else can any player get injured? Atleast as per some self proclaimed "real cricket fan"

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

So, even Wasim and Waqar used to skip games and that too such high pressure games. Waqar remained injured throughout 1992 World Cup also. I thought Bumrah is the only player in the cricket history to rest games or get injured which results in him skipping matches but even Wasim or Waqar or Shoaib did too.

Wasim /Waqar were probably playing IPL otherwise how else can any player get injured? Atleast as per some self proclaimed "real cricket fan"

LMAO come back when Bumrah manages to play 350+ odis and 100+ tests till then

 

[Jazx]

That was an era when corruption and commercialism really took off in cricket. If a guy like Hansie Cronje can be involved in these match-fixing practices then Akram and others are not so innocent.
I have a theory that maybe due to the proliferation of useless ODIs, captains thought it doesn't make a difference if we throw a match or two especially when the series is already won. Mind you in those days there weren't separate teams for each format so most of the guys were playing both ODI and Tests plus the 4 day/ODI side games against province/state/counties on tours.

Yes akram was not innocent but for that particular match he was not fit to play. Infact he was unfit throughout the tournament as didn't played against nzl and didn't bowled against SA untill the last few overs. But still the match against india was very fishy by looking at the way anwar, inzi, ijaz and even sohail got out after a very good start.

 

[Slim]

Yeah, and he was lucky not to get a lifetime BAN like Salim Malik by Justice Qayyum. According to the report it was mentioned that he should never be allowed to captain the team again. Plus, if I'm right he should also never be considered for any cricket related position.

Thats why him and Waqar are called Qayuum kei larkay.

 

[Zaz]

If Wasim Akram had been a clean personality like Misbah, fans would be stating "what if" he was there in the quarter-final to win the match for Pakistan.

But because of his own shady actions, his legacy is rightly ruined and doubts have been cast about his career. He deserves it.

As a case in point, for all the flak Misbah has got for Mohali - not one fan has alleged match-fixing.

This The class of 90s are mired in it all These guys ruined pakistan cricket from which its never recovered They shouldve been the best team in the world then but infighting, fixing and were involved in all sorts of shenanigans

And now they all preach morals and religion

Remind me of the line about the cat going to hajj after killing hundreds of rats

 

[Kianig89]

Atta-ur-Rehman, Fazl-e-Akbar, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Zahid, Shabbir Ahmed all potential bowlers sidelined by Wasim et al. they didnt let Pakistan develop backup.

Heck in the 99WC squad and team combo had doubts, Waqar played one game and was benched the whole tourney not sure it was fitness or form

 

[Jazx]

Atta-ur-Rehman, Fazl-e-Akbar, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Zahid, Shabbir Ahmed all potential bowlers sidelined by Wasim et al. they didnt let Pakistan develop backup.

Heck in the 99WC squad and team combo had doubts, Waqar played one game and was benched the whole tourney not sure it was fitness or form

It was the form. Waqar was finished till then but made a comeback from 2000 sharjah tournament.

 

[Ab Fan]

Wasim /Waqar were probably playing IPL otherwise how else can any player get injured? Atleast as per some self proclaimed "real cricket fan"

Yes that maybe true as well for the self proclaimed real cricket fan lol

 

[PakLFC]

Bhai sahb, fantasise to your heart's content about sachin, there are plenty of threads where Indian fans wax lyrical about his greatness - you'll feel right at home there.

But in this context your statements are just plain wrong:

No Wasim never got hammered by sachin.

Wasim was not ever considered an expensive bowler.

There were some tournaments e.g. 1992 World Cup where he bowled a lot of no balls and wides, but guess what he was MoM in the WC final too. So, what's your point?

Well of course Sachin has his critics among Indian fans then why are Pak fans so touchy about any criticism towards Wasim? Many fans spoke of Wasim's chronic problem of bowling no balls thereby giving away plenty of runs in the process.

No one is denying his contribution in the WC cup. My point still remains him giving to many runs away with his no balls, wides and to the likes of yes Sachin.

 

[PakLFC]

Wasim Akram was a very economical bowler. Look at his stats. Did he ever get hit a lot? Of course. Every bowler has at some stage or another gotten whacked around. Even the great McGrath got hit for 5 fours in a row by Abdul Razzaq.

Overall though Wasim was one of the great economical bowlers for his era.

Waz was an awesome wicket taker and swing bowler no doubt about that perhaps the best or all. Though you can not point out one match played by McGrath then compare it to the bashing Waz took. Curtly Ambrose was another very disciplined bowler like Glenn McGrath.

 

[Hitman]

If what he said is true, he would have revealed it years ago when question marks were placed over him by critics of him missing that match. He certainly wouldn't have kept quiet when his reputation was being tarnished back then.

 

[ex-q-zit]

Salim Malik had in a TV interview had blamed Wasim for the loss.

 

[Bewal Express]

A very angry Wasim Akram speaking about the reason why he did not play in the QF v India in 1996.

As people may recall, a few rumours about this which he angrily denied in below video.

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WA is angry and rightly so. No evidence but many accusations

 

[Bewal Express]

Salim Malik had in a geo super interview blamed Wasim for the loss.

Although he didn't play. So No blame on Amir Sohail, the gormless *****, or Miandad and Inzi playing Sachin and Jadeja like they were Marshall and Garner. And Salerm Malik, the lowest of the low

 

[Markhor]

Wasim's absence isn't the sole reason why we lost. Pakistan made a brilliant start to the chase - scoring 113 from the 15 overs. We sometimes can't even score that in a T20 today !

After that, all we needed to do is knock it around sensibly but the openers got out to rash shots. Ijaz, now mentor to the youth, played a disgraceful shot. The middle order choked and a very winnable World Cup was lost.

 

[pratiktc]

Worst thing Wasim did was ruin life of Ata ur Rehman. If Ata hadn't perjured himself out of fear, Wasim would have been banned for life.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Well, we all know the reason we lost that 1996 QF match: Aamer Sohail.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Wasim's absence isn't the sole reason why we lost. Pakistan made a brilliant start to the chase - scoring 113 from the 15 overs. We sometimes can't even score that in a T20 today !

After that, all we needed to do is knock it around sensibly but the openers got out to rash shots. Ijaz, now mentor to the youth, played a disgraceful shot. The middle order choked and a very winnable World Cup was lost.

It was Aamer Sohail who opened the door though with his brainless antics. He was striking at 100+ and seeing the ball like a beach ball. There was zero need to go to Prasad and do what he did. Infact in retrospect it was an absolutely moronic thing to do because Prasad has already been smacked for two boundaries in that over and was struggling massively going at nearly 10 an over.

And then you had this fool walking up to Prasad and telling him what he was going to do the next ball.

 

[Markhor]

From PP's own interview with a man who's no fan of Wasim Akram...Ata-ur-Rehman:

PakPassion.Net: Can you please walk us through the Bangalore Quarter Final 1996...anything from dressing room during the game that we do not know?

Ata Ur Rehman: We were all aware that Wasim had a problem with his ribs. He practiced in the morning after taking a painkilling injection and tried his best to make the match, but 10 minutes before the toss he told me and the other players that he cant make the match and said to me that I would be replacing him. To suggest that Wasim faked injury is ridiculous, we all know that he tried his best to make that match.

http://www.pakpassion.net/literature/exclusive-interviews/item/135.html

 

[Bewal Express]

It was Aamer Sohail who opened the door though with his brainless antics. He was striking at 100+ and seeing the ball like a beach ball. There was zero need to go to Prasad and do what he did. Infact in retrospect it was an absolutely moronic thing to do because Prasad has already been smacked for two boundaries in that over and was struggling massively going at nearly 10 an over.

And then you had this fool walking up to Prasad and telling him what he was going to do the next ball.

Unforgivable by Amir( people forget he was Captain)and that's why I can't take the idiot seriously when he commentates. Both him and Saeed Amwar throw their wickets away and the constipated batting by Inzi, Miandad, Malik and ijaz destroyed any hopes we had.

 

[Bewal Express]

Worst thing Wasim did was ruin life of Ata ur Rehman. If Ata hadn't perjured himself out of fear, Wasim would have been banned for life.

We don't who is telling the truth and who is lying. I have a feeling both were lying.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Unforgivable by Amir( people forget he was Captain)and that's why I can't take the idiot seriously when he commentates. Both him and Saeed Amwar throw their wickets away and the constipated batting by Inzi, Miandad, Malik and ijaz destroyed any hopes we had.

I don't. And I agree, him being captain makes his actions even more unforgivable. I'm willing to look past Saeed Anwar's wicket because Pakistan were still going brilliantly even after that wicket fell...at 7+ RPO which is rare these days, let alone back then. But Aamer's antics were moronic and brainless. He brought India back into the game from out of nowhere. Pakistan could have won that match just by knocking the ball around because they were ahead of the run-rate even by the 30th over.

I am atleast glad that this moment lives in infamy to this day. So you can remind everyone what a clown Aamer Sohail truly is.

As far as his commentary is concerned, I don't think you need to bring his playing career into analyzing it. Because it's just objectively bad.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Salim Malik had in a TV interview had blamed Wasim for the loss.

Wasim was no saint. I don't think there's any doubt that he was a match-fixer who got away with it because there was never any real actionable evidence against him that could have put him behind bars.

But that's rich coming from Salim Malik of all people. Considering that, Salim was arguably the most crooked player in the team during the 90s. And someone who played a pathetic innings in that very match where he had the opportunity to take Pakistan home, but got out to a straight ball from Kumble.

The mark of a true coward is not taking responsibility for your failures. And that's exactly what Salim Malik was: a coward.

All the natural talent and god-gifted ability in the world, but zero character or integrity to go with it.