‘Insulted’ Akhtar walks out of TV show

Shoaib Akhtar. Pic/AFP

Ex-Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar was embroiled in a controversy when he walked out of a TV programme and resigned from his job as cricket analyst after being told to leave the set by the host of the show at state-owned PTV.

Akhtar, 46, said he had been "treated badly and insulted" on air by the host in the post-match show following Pakistan's five wicket win over New Zealand on Tuesday. Akhtar, who played 46 Tests and 163 ODIs, got up, took off his microphone and left. Host Nauman Niaz didn't attempt to call him back and showed no reaction at all and carried on with the show as normal.

But the other guests on the show including greats like Sir Vivian Richards, David Gower, Rashid Latif, Umar Gul, Rashid Latif, Aaqib Javed and Pakistan women's team captain Sana Mir were clearly shaken by the incident.

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"Multiple clips are circulating on social media so I thought I shud clarify. dr noman was abnoxious and rude wen he asked me to leave the show [sic]," Akhtar tweeted. "It was embarrassing specially wen u have legends like sir Vivian Richards and David gower sitting on the set with some of my contemporaries and seniors and millions watching.

"I tried to save everyone from embarrassment by saying I was pulling dr nomans leg with this mutual understanding that dr noman will also politely apologise and we will move on with the show, which he refused to do. Then I had no other choice," he added.

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