Wasim Akram quits (16 Sep 1998)

16 September 1998

Wasim Akram quits

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Wasim Akram one of the world's greatest all-rounders has quit international cricket in a bid to clear his name over match fixing allegations.

The outgoing Pakistan and Lancashire captain has not ruled out a return to the world stage in the future, but says he may need a two or three year break before the issue is resolved.

Wasim has slammed Pakistan Cricket Board chief executive Majid Khan for his part in the saga and blasted: "It's a conspiracy, especially within the board."

The row has upset the international captain's plans for the rest of the season, and he confirmed: "My next project was due for the end of September, but now I've ruled myself out of the Tests against Australia.

"I've taken on a former judge from Karachi because I must clear my name for me, my friends, my family and most of all my son.

"Unfortunately I have had to leave cricket because it might take two or three years to get through this.

"When allegations arise you need to fight it out. You can't just sit back. I would love to carry on but I simply can't. But I'm happy because I know that I have done nothing wrong." Furious Wasim said the first he heard of the allegations was on Teletext. "No-one told me about it and then everything was immediately denied by the board.

"If there's evidence that I've been involved, they should come out and fight it in court."

Akram believes the situation is a witch hunt, directed by Majid Khan.

"Majid Khan never liked me and I don't know why. Perhaps it was because I never went into his office and asked, How are things'?

"But when I was Pakistan captain he never came into the dressing room to congratulate me over how we had done."

Akram also went on to blast his former international team mates in saying: "Definitely a lot of it is politics within the team.

"You see people like Javed being dropped from the team and making these allegations to try and get back in.

"I think it is all to do with jealousy. People begrudge me because I am earning millions and they are not.

"But they're all getting at me in particular. They don't seem to realise it takes six, seven or eight people from a team to rig a match."

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)