Former captain Aamer Sohail has become the latest cricketer to reopen the Pandora's box of 90s, with his startling accusation being that Wasim Akram was insincere with the team and is the reason why Pakistan lost at least three World Cups, report agencies.
“The biggest contribution by Wasim Akram for Pakistan cricket was making sure Pakistan does not win a World Cup after 92," Sohail is quoted as saying in local media.
Sohail said that if Prime Minister Imran Khan's holds the distinction of being the only World Cup-winning captain to date, it is because of his prodigy's profligacy.
"Imran Khan should be very grateful to him and he is by awarding him the presidential award. If he [Akram] was sincere with Pakistan, we would have easily won the 96, 99 and 2003 World Cups," the fiery former batsman claimed.
"All of this drama happened for a reason. This should be investigated. The culprit behind all this should be brought to the forefront.”
Sohail implied the existence of some sort of collusion that saw Akram take over the captaincy before the World Cup.
“Put the 92 World Cup to one side and talk about the 1996 World Cup. In 1995 Ramiz Raja was captain. Saleem Malik was the captain before that, he was very successful and if he could have spent one more year as captain then Wasim Akram would not have been leading the side,” he said.
“If you look at what happened till 2003, there was this persistence before every World Cup to remove the captain and put Wasim Akram in that role."
There has been a renewed war of words during the ongoing lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, triggered by former Test cricketer Saleem Malik's plea for rehabilitation, following which a series of allegation and counter allegations have been exchanged.