Under-fire speedster Shoaib Akhtar [Images] has lashed out at former captains Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for making him a scapegoat whenever things go wrong but being generous in their praise of Indian bowler Irfan Pathan [Images].

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"I respect Wasim very much, he was a great bowler but his comment that I am no longer a match-winner has really hurt me. I would say that he should keep his views to himself," Shoaib told reporters in Islamabad on Monday while visiting a cricket coaching camp.

"If you pick up the records when Wasim was the captain, you would know who was taking most of the wickets," said the bowler who has been under attack recently for his frequent breakdowns and off-field conduct.

"I have been made the scapegoat whenever something goes wrong."

Shoaib said he was surprised that while Wasim and Waqar were so generous in their praise of Irfan Pathan, they did not support and encourage their own countrymen.

The bowler was also optimistic about beating India in India on the upcoming tour.

"It is going to be tough but I think we can win there. Our team is inconsistent, a lot would depend on how the senior players fare. I don't think they'll make fast wickets in India."

He dismissed as trash recent pictures showing him flanked by girls in a nightclub and termed it an attempt by that lobby to degrade him.

"This is an age of technology and photographs can be tampered with easily. Everyday I have fans wanting their photographs taken with me, and say if a female fan comes up to me and puts a hand around my shoulder or holds my hand... these photos too can be shown to have been taken in a nightclub," he said.

The speedster, who has been recalled from the Australian tour after he suffered a hamstring injury, also said PCB had not sought any explanation from him on the pictures.

"No explanation has been sought from me by PCB or anyone else for they know that it has been another attempt to tarnish my image."

Asked whether he was vying for the captain's slot, Shoaib said that it was a matter that should be best left to PCB.

On the criticism about his frequent breakdowns, he said it is normal for pacemen to get injured because too much cricket is being played these days.

"Glen McGrath [Images], Brett Lee [Images], Zaheer Khan [Images], Ashish Nehra and others all suffer injuries."

He also said he was not going to heed calls from coach Bob Woolmer [Images] and skipper Inzamam-ul Haq to reduce his run-up as he felt that cutting down on the run-up was not the answer.

"I will think about reducing the run up after 2007 World Cup. I am in no mood to make it short. I would consider it after the next World cup. We need to play fewer one-day matches."

He said from his point of view Pakistan needed more fast bowlers. "We have to find genuine fast bowlers because you cannot win Test matches with bowlers who have speeds of 120 to 130 kms," he said.