Akram not in Canty colours (5 December 1998)

5 December 1998

Akram not in Canty colours

The Christchurch Press

Stumps have been drawn on negotiations between Canterbury cricket officials and Pakistani all-rounder Wasim Akram, who will not play in Christchurch this season.

Canterbury Cricket Association chief executive Tony Murdoch confirmed yesterday that talks with Akram had foundered.

He cited three key factors, including the late start to contractual negotiations, which had meant "opportunities for attracting sponsorship support had been limited".

"Wasim was still unable to commit to the full Shell Cup season and this was a problem," Murdoch said.

He would not have been available for the Shell Cup play-offs, which clashed with a scheduled test series between Pakistan and India.

Murdoch said there had also been doubts about whether the Pakistani Cricket Board would release Akram.

"The recent poor performances by the Pakistani team have caused a degree of turmoil within the Pakistan administration," Murdoch said.

"As a consequence, Wasim's manager had alerted me to the possibility that a release may not be forthcoming."

Murdoch said a player of Akram's stature would have been a tremendous asset to player development in Canterbury.

He said the former Pakistan captain was still keen to link with Canterbury in the future.

Source :: The Christchurch Press (https://www.press.co.nz/)