Wasim Akram stabs Moin in the back

Sacked former captain Wasim Akram has complained to the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) against the leadership, approach and attitude of skipper Moin Khan.

According to highly placed sources, Wasim, who returned from New Zealand earlier this week after breaking down once again when the team needed him, held a closed door meeting with Lt Gen Tauqir Zia in Lahore who gave him a patient hearing.

"Wasim spoke against Moin. He had a bagful of grievances against the wicketkeeper," insiders in the board said. Wasim's major objection was Moin's working relationship with team coach Javed Miandad. Sources said Wasim outlined how the two were creating a rift between the players and the cricket administration.

He also briefed the general about the closed door meetings the players had to counter the selectors decision to call Saqlain Mushtaq back. In one of the meetings, eight players had contemplated returning home.

Moin is not the first captain against whom Wasim has started a crusade. In fact, he pulled out from the second Test against Sri Lanka under Ramiz Raja in 1995-96 after Pakistan had won the opening Test. Ramiz was eventually sacked after Pakistan lost the series 2-1 and later failed to qualify for the tri-nation final in Sharjah.

Wasim later let Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail down while it was his sudden appearance in South Africa in 1998 which disturbed the atmosphere of the Pakistan team. Need not to say that Pakistan lost the Port Elizabeth Test after winning the Durban game under Rashid Latif.

Interestingly, all the four captains were replaced by Wasim. However, he is unlikely to get another chance to lead Pakistan after he was censored, fined and recommended never to be appointed captain by Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum who investigated the charges of corruption in Pakistan cricket.

Moin, who was said to be a truth lieutenant of Wasim until he took over the charge in March last year, had forced the inclusion of the left arm fast bowler after he was dropped from the tour to Sharjah on fitness grounds last year.

Wasim had missed the second and third Tests against Sri Lanka and the selectors had demanded his fitness before considering him for the four-month tour to Sharjah, West Indies, Dhaka and Sri Lanka.