25 September,2011 06:26 AM IST | | Vivek Ajinkya
Legendary swing bowler Wasim Akram was annoyed to hear former Pakistan teammate Shoaib Akhtar's claims about Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar being afraid of his bowling, in his much talked about book 'Controversially Yours'.
Wasim Akram
u00a0"When 16-year-old Sachin was on the tour of Pakistan, one delivery hit Sachin on his helmet just below his chin. He was hurt but got necessary treatment and carried on with the game.
"It would be wrong to say any top batsman fears playing fast bowling. Maybe the batsman will play a defensive shot when up against a quickie or he may see it off, that doesn't imply that he's scared," said Akram, referring to Tendulkar's efforts in the fourth Test in Sialkot in 1989.
Shoaib Akhtar (left) and Sachin Tendulkar
"Such comments are just a ploy to sell the book. I don't bother and even Sachin should not bother about what is in the book," added Akram, who was in the city on Saturday, supporting the second India International Sports Summit (an initiative focussed on giving a facelift to Indian sports).
Match-fixing and ball tampering
In his book, the maverick pacer also made allegations of match-fixing and ball tampering against Pakistani players. He also claimed that Akram had played a part in delaying his international Test debut and more importantly destroying his career.u00a0u00a0
Akram reacted to these allegations, blaming the Rawalpindi Express of self-destruction:u00a0 "He (Shoaib) destroyed his own career.u00a0 Shoaib was a trouble during his playing days and continues to be so.
"There are a lot of things to reveal. But, I don't want to fall to his level. There is an unwritten rule in cricket that dressing room talk is not discussed in the media."
Drifting from the highly controversial topic, Akram went on to raise questions about India's selection policy during the recently concluded disastrous tour of England. "India's bowling struggled in England. India should have played youngsters and let them gain valuable experience. "Young bowlers like Varun Aaron went unused," Akram pointed out.
