Wasim Akram explains why he couldn't play 1996 World Cup quarter-final vs India

Wasim Akram, former Pakistan captain, was asked about not playing in the ICC World Cup 1996 quarter-final against India.

India defeated Pakistan by 39 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. There have been various versions over why Wasim Akram did not play the game.

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When Akram was questioned about this after 26 years, his anger was worth seeing. Wasim Akram is a very calm player, but when he was questioned about it during a show on a local news channel, he got furious.

Akram said that this thing hurts him a lot, when Pakistanis question him about this. Akram said, "Let me cool you down. I have told many young people never to believe in rumours. At that time not many of you were even born. It is very shameful when a Pakistani asks me about this."

"I was injured three days ago. Against New Zealand, I scored 34 runs. I went to sweep Dion Nash, fine leg was up, I had a chest strain. It took six weeks to get it right. Waqar is sitting, we did not say this in the press so that India does not get the confidence that their main player is injured. Waqar also saw in the morning, everyone saw that I had gotten six pain killer injections, but it did not work out," he added.

The 56-year-old also explains why they did not reveal the press about the injury as a part of their strategy.

"We did not update the press because India cannot gain confidence that the main players are not playing. In the morning, everyone saw that Dan Kiesel, the physician for the Pakistan team, injected me with six painkillers, but they did not work. If I had played that match with injury and could not bowl ten overs, they would have bashed me for not bowling complete overs, so where the rest of the players were selling peas if Wasim Akram was not available for the match against India."

Wasim Akram was replaced by Ata-ur-Rehman, who bowled well against India in the quarter-finals.