Former Test cricketer Shoaib Akhtar’s autobiography titled Controversially Yours, sparking controversy right away, was released in New Delhi, India, on September 23.The book was launched at a hotel in the Indian capital and the ceremony was also attended by Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Shahid Malik.
The Pakistan speedster has confessed to having tampered with the ball and also questioned the class and temperament of India's batting icons, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
“Almost all Pakistani fast bowlers have tampered with the ball. I may be the first one to openly admit to it but everybody is doing it. To be honest, every team in the world tampers with the ball. We probably started it but no team is innocent and virtually every fast bowler does it. That is the only way to survive because the wickets are so slow. I have tampered with the ball on many occasions,” he admitted.
Shoaib offered a solution to the problem of ball tampering by writing that the only way to stop this is for the ICC to ensure that at least some pitches are prepared in favour of the bowlers.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has distanced itself from Shoaib’s remarks, saying he was no longer associated with the board and was free to do whatever he wants.
Shoaib, who was a genuine match-winner, remained at the centre of many controversies in his stormy career which finally came to an end with the Cricket World Cup 2011 in which Pakistan reached the semifinals.
Shoaib engineered quite a few victories for Pakistan in every format of the game but many people believed that he could have given more to country if he disciplined himself and refrained from uncalled for controversies.
(Jumbopublishing.com)
.JPG)
