da spicy bet： Champion all-rounder, Wasim Akram, has managed to make it into the 20-man provisional list for next month’s tour to England using all hiscontacts
25-Apr-2001Champion all-rounder, Wasim Akram, has managed to make it into the 20-man provisional list for next month’s tour to England using all hiscontacts. But the question is why Wasim is so keen to tour England?Wasim has made four successful tours to England twice as captain. In1987, he was a member of Imran Khan’s tigers who won 1-0 in a five-Test series. He was the leading wicket-taker for Javed Miandad’s partyin 1992.In 1996, Wasim captained Pakistan to 2-0 victory over England theninspired his team to reach the final of the 1999 World Cup where histeam lost a lopsided final to Australia by eight wickets.In England, he has taken 53 wickets for Pakistan at 26.58, animpressive performance by all means.If there was anything left, Wasim achieved that with distinction withhis more than a decade-old association with Lancashire.Overall, Wasim has captured 409 Test and 440 one-day wickets besidesleading Pakistan in 25 Tests while winning 12 and losing eight. He hasalso been a member of the 1992 World Cup winning party.There is nothing left for the demon pace bowler to achieve. But he isstill keen to tour England without realizing that he is not welcome inthe team dressing room presently being captained by his once greatfriend who later turned foe Waqar Younis. And it is certainly notbecause of his all round and match-winning abilities that hisinclusion is being resisted but because he was not sincere to hiscolleagues during his reign as captain.It was his attitude which forced Waqar to led a successful nineplayers rebellion against him in 1994. Not only Waqar, but othersenior players had problems with Wasim and that’s precisely why theyjoined the revolt.When Wasim took over the charge again in 1998, intentionally orunintentionally under bowled the great pace bowler. In the second Testat Hobart against Australia, Wasim tried every bowler except Waqar asAustralia achieved more than 350 in the fourth innings to win the Testby four wickets.Then in the 1999 World Cup, Waqar was played in just one match whichforced the paceman to accuse Wasim of deliberately destroying hiscareer.Although the prospects of Wasim making the team look bleak, he willcertainly face isolation and probably humiliation if Waqar surrendersbefore the `strong recommendations’ and agrees to take him to England.Wasim has learnt all the tricks in the trade from his maestro ImranKhan. But what he has forgotten is that Imran was wise enough to callit a day after the World Cup when he realized the harsh reality thathe was not wanted for the 1992 tour to England.If Wasim is intelligent, he should follow in the footsteps of Imranand quit with honour, grace and dignity.