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Pakistan’s most controversial cricketer Shoaib Akhtar invited a little more drama on the eve of his book launch, tearing into Indian greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid while also taking shots at former national captain Wasim Akram and even the country’s former president Pervez Musharraf.
In the book titled “Controversially Yours” Akhtar says, “I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren't exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing the game.”
He then zeroes in on Tendulkar saying, “I bowled (Sachin) a particularly fast ball which he, to my amazement didn't even touch. He walked away! That was the first time I saw him walk away from me-that, too, on the slow track at Faisalabad.”
Excerpts of the book released to the media have managed to create much hype but it is surprising that the bits about Tendulkar and Dravid were made public considering the fact that the autobiography will be first published in India.
But Akhtar is not one to shy away from such a situation and said in an interview to Times of India, “What I've written is my experience, put as honestly for others to know. This is the truth - for the world, it may be a big controversy.”
Akhtar, who called time on his career following the 2011 World Cup, has also shockingly admitted that he tampered with the ball claiming, “everyone tampers with the ball. I did so too. Tampering should be legalised.”
He has also dug deep into the working of the Pakistan cricket- the administration, his early career, former and current players and the class discrimination in the setup.
Taking a dig at Shoaib Malik, Akhtar has stated in his book that the Pakistani all-rounder was PCB's stooge.
“Shoaib Malik doesn't deserve to be captain and was made captain because he was a stooge of the PCB Chief Naseem Ashraf,” states Akhtar.
Another shocking revelation is one where he claims Wasim Akram attempted to finish his career.
“Wasim Akram threatened to walk out with half the team if I was included in the team. General Tauqir Zia backed Shoaib against Wasim,” Akhtar says of fissures previously unheard of.
Javed Miandad, Pervez Musharraf, Shah Rukh Khan and Lalit Modi have also come into the crosshairs in the autobiography.
The book is tentatively scheduled to be out today in India.
