Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claimed yesterday that match-fixing was at its rampant best in 1996 but himself refrained from getting involved in the malpractice
Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar
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Karachi: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claimed yesterday that match-fixing was at its rampant best in 1996 but himself refrained from getting involved in the malpractice.
"The atmosphere of the Pakistan dressing room was very strange...Trust me it was the worst possible dressing room," Akhtar was quoted as saying by Geo News.
Akhtar added he always stayed away from fixing circles and cautioned other people about it, advising teammates to play with integrity and sincerity.
Akhtar said he intervened to put an end to a recent public verbal dispute between Javed Miandad and Shahid Afridi, urging the two warring former Pakistan skippers to resolve the matter through dialogue.
"To resolve the matter through talks was the most possible solution. I spoke to Afridi and Javed bhai to settle the matter outside court. If it would have go to the court, then a lot of names would have cropped up," Akhtar told Geo TV.
"I told Afridi not to send a legal notice and advised Javed bhai to keep control of his anger and not say anything controversial in public."
The 41-year-old said Miandad and Afridi's spat could have opened a Pandora's box, tarnishing Pakistan cricket's image worldwide. The bitter feud erupted when Miandad accused Afridi of fixing matches for money.
They later resolved their differences, posting a video online in which Miandad took back his words and Afridi apologised.
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