AKRAM_NO_SHARJAH_30MAR1996

30 March 1996

Wasim Akram not going to Sharjah

Ilyas Beg

LAHORE, March 29: Captain Wasim Akram has said that despite improvement in his ruptured rib-cage muscle, his physician had advised him not to start physical exercises for another ten or thirteen days.

"I will have to miss the Sharjah Cup. Even if the muscle is healed, I will need some time to regain match-fitness by doing physical exercises and practice of the game" said the grim and sad-looking Wasim Akram.

The great all-rounder said that it was a recurrence of an old injury to his rib-cage which he had sustained while batting for Lancashire against Derbyshire in the All-England County Cricket Championship in 1993. He said that while batting in the Sixth World Cup match against New Zealand at the Qadhafi Stadium, Lahore, he felt pain after executing a stroke. Immediately, he realised that it was the recurrence of the same trouble.

While replying to a question, Wasim Akram said that he did some batting practice at Bangalore, a day before the fateful quarterfinal of the World Cup against India. He said that he tried to bowl a few deliveries on the morning of the match, but he felt acute pain. At 12-00 o`clock, he was given an injection but the pain did nor subside till the start of the quarter-final. So, he had no option but to sit out of the match.

Wasim Akram confessed that nothing went right for the Pakistan team during the match. There were a few interruptions due to crowd interruptions. Even the umpires, unreasonably, deprived the Pakistani team off one over. He however, regretted that the cricket fans have forgotten 24 victories of the Pakistan team over India out of 28 matches played between the two teams in recent years. He said that the "outbursts" and reaction of some of the cricket followers in Pakistan had been amazing and regretful.

Replying to a question, Wasim Akram said that the chances of Pakistan team`s victory in the tournaments at Singapore and Sharjah depended upon "how soon and how well they came out of the psychological pressure" put on them by the reaction of some followers of the game in Pakistan. He said that the Pakistan cricketers had the capability to rise to the occasion. "let us hope for the best. My prayers and good wishes are with the team", concluded skipper Wasim Akram.

Source :: Dawn Group Of Newspapers (https://www.cricket.org/link_to_database/SUPPORT/DAWN/)