KARACHI, Dec 15 (AFP) - Star pace bowler Waqar Younis on Wednesday lashed out at Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, saying a personal grudge has kept him away from the game and ruined his career.
''Selectors kept on selecting me and he kept on pushing me out. Waqar is a great bowler and Waqar's story cannot be a forgotten story,'' the 28-year-old Waqar told AFP in an interview.
''He was unfair to me, to the fans and the game of cricket. I have been sitting on the bench for the last 18 months. Is it fair?.''
''He is a great cricketer and I respect him as a cricketer but I cannot call him a great human being. If he has grudge against me, the best place to settle that is inside a room and not at the ground.''
Waqar took 279 wickets in 58 tests during his illustrious 10-year career.
''How can you treat such a bowler like this who has the best striking rate in the world,'' the disgruntled pace bowler said.
''I was only given a chance against Bangladesh during the World Cup and then in one test against Australia.
''I got three wickets against Bangladesh and then got the prize wickets of Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh in the Hobart Test,'' he said.
''But he does not give me a chance to bowl. I am not a beginner. I am a magician with the ball and can only show my tricks with the ball and not by sitting on the bench,'' he said.
''There was nobody to listen to me. There was nobody in the board, so I have come forward to tell the whole world about this injustice,'' he said.
He said the grudge may relate to a dispute in 1993, when he sided with a group of players who were opposed to having Wasim as their captain.
Waqar and Wasim ruled the cricketing world during the early 1990's and the pair were known as the two ''Ws.''
Waqar used to be reckoned the fastest bowler during his early career but lost a few yards in his pace after surgery for a back injury.
But still the pacer is well regarded, particularly for his deadly yorkers and in-cutters.
But in recent matches Wasim has preferred Shoaib Akhtar, known as the Rawalpindi Express.
Wasim has dismissed Waqar's complaints.
''I have no personal grudge against him,'' he told The News daily.
''The question of whether injustice has been done to him or if he is being mistreated by me in the team can only be judged by looking at his performance in Tests and one-dayers in last one year,'' Wasim said.
Waqar has not been selected for the triangular one-day series against Australia and India scheduled to start on January 6 in Australia.
''I am not hungry for trips or fame. I do not need any tours to sit on the bench, I want to be selected on my performances but I need the opportunity to perform,'' Waqar said. |
