Waseem Akram tried to ruin my career: Shoaib Akhtar

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NEW DELHI: Shoaib Akhtar in his autobiography ‘Controversially Yours’ has accused Waseem Akram of trying to ruin his career. The former Pakistani fast bowler said that Tauqeer Zia supported him during that time.

The fastest bowler in the 134-year official history of international cricket - Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar has made some startling claims in his autobiography entitled 'Controversially Yours'.

From the preview of excerpts of Shoaib Akhtar, who holds the record for the fastest delivery in cricket ever clocking 161.3 km/h (100.2 mph), it transpires that the autobiography is no less controversial with the Rawalpindi Express admitting to ball tampering and also claiming that Sachin Tendulkar chickened out during the Faisalabad Test.

"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," he wrote in his book.

The former Pakistani stump-wrecker said that Master Blaster and The Wall are not match winners. "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 said.

In the autobiography, Akhtar also alleged that Shahrukh Khan and former Chairman of Indian Premier League (IPL) Lalit Modi cheated him. "Shahrukh and I talked about my not being happy with the money settled on me. Shahrukh and Modi got me to agree. I should have never listened to Modi and Shahrukh," he stated.

Akhtar, who retired from cricket following the 2011 World Cup, also revealed that he tampered with the ball claiming, "everyone tampers with the ball. I did so too. Tampering should be legalised."

The biography maps Shoaib's journey from his economically deprived childhood to his peak in international cricket. Born flat-footed, suffering whooping cough, the bowler describes the blood, sweat and tears that took him to breaking the 100 mph barrier.

Comfort stayed elusive. Akhtar describes the severe class discrimination marring Pakistani cricket, his humiliation and his failures, including ball-tampering and even attacking teammates with a bat.

Alongside, he takes on Pakistani and international players, coaches, selectors and the media. "Shoaib Malik did not deserve to be captain and was made captain because he was a stooge of the PCB Chief Naseem Ashraf," stated Akhtar.

Not just this, the former Pakistani pacer also went on to claim that legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram attempted to finish his career. He stated, "Wasim Akram threatened to walk out with half the team if I was included in the team. General Tauqir Zia backed Shoaib against Wasim."

A right hand fast bowler, Akhtar was born on August 13, 1975, in Rawalpindi. He remained involved in several controversies during his career.

In 2005, he was sent home during the Test series in Australia for unprofessional attitude. A year later, he was snared in a drug scandal after testing positive for stimulants. He was banned in September 2007 for picking up a fight with teammate Mohammed Asif, and in the following year banned for five years for criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board. In October 2008, the Lahore High Court suspended the ban.

Akhtar retired from international cricket after the 2011 World Cup.