I don't think Wasim is 'King of Swing'. I think he is 'King of Betting'
Irked by Wasim Akram questioning the Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to form a committee to probe the team's disastrous showing in the Asia Cup, influential board official Shakil Sheikh has threatened to open old files related to the legendary fast bowler's alleged involvement in match-fixing.
"I don't think Wasim is 'King of Swing'. I think he is 'King of Betting'. He should think before criticizing anyone, because his past is known to all and old files in the board can be opened," Sheikh, who is the head of the PCB's inquiry committee told Geo Super channel on Monday night.
He was referring to a report by Justice Malik Qayyum on the match-fixing inquiry at the start of the millennium.
Sheikh, who also heads the Islamabad Regional Cricket Association, made references to Akram's name being linked to betting in cricket and the Justice Qayyum match-fixing inquiry.
He was upset with the remarks made by Akram recently at a press conference, in which the former Pakistan pacer questioned the purpose of the PCB appointing an inquiry committee on the eve of the World T20 to probe the national team's poor performance in the Asia Cup.
Akram also lamented the state of domestic cricket and stated that the person heading the domestic cricket committee, that is Sheikh, had not held a cricket bat properly in his life.
In rather strong comments, he expressed unhappiness with the state of Pakistan cricket.
Sheikh shot back at the former great and threatened to open old files about him in the board.
He also accused Akram of using Imran Khan, his mentor and former captain, to get coaching jobs in the IPL and alleged that the former captain secured sponsors himself and then pressurized the PCB into permitting him to hold fast bowling camps.
He claimed that he had played plenty of competitive cricket and once even hit Akram for two sixes in a match in Islamabad.
Akram now spends most of his time as a cricket commentator and pundit on international channels or on the coaching panel of the IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders.
He was appointed Director of Cricket to the Islamabad United team which went on to win the Pakistan Super League title in the UAE.
Sheikh, a member of the PCB's board of governors, is known to use harsh words against former players in the past but failed to give a satisfactory answer when reminded that the same PCB had appointed Akram as brand ambassador for the PSL.
