Wasim Akram to train budding pacer in New Delhi

[shaun3]

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15711837

Wasim Akram to train budding pacer in New Delhi

World's leading sports drink brand, Gatorade, recently launched its first training academy for budding pace bowlers in India. Experts like Wasim Akram and Ramji Srinivasan will impart training in the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence.

IN A major boon for aspiring fast bowlers in the country, Gatorade, the world’s number one sports drink brand, recently launched its first ever training academy in the world with the setting up of the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence in India.

In a move, which is set to give a tremendous boost to building a talent pool of budding pace bowlers, the academy will guide and train young fast bowlers to realise their potential at the national and international level. The move also marks the foray of the sports drink giant in the field of sports training.

Launching the centre in New Delhi, Geetu Verma, Executive Director – Innovations and Business Development, PepsiCo India Holdings, said, “The sweating and the need for instant rehydration, replenishment and refueling is very significant in fast bowlers. This is where Gatorade comes in. The Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence will provide a comprehensive training programme for talented fast bowlers. The centre will make it possible for grass-root level aspiring pacers to imbibe international expertise in the best of sports science and training and the art of pace bowling.

“We are also delighted to have the pace bowling legend Wasim Akram joining the centre as a coach. His wealth of experience in bowling strategy coupled with T A Sekar’s exemplary command over bowling technique and result-oriented coaching will certainly be an unbeatable combination and Gatorade is proud to be a catalyst in making this possible.”

Wasim Akram, former Pakistan captain and one of all-time pace bowling greats of world cricket, who will be the coach – Bowling Variation and Strategy of the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence said in a message, “The success that the winners of 2007 and 2008 rounds of pacers have been able to achieve; not only talks about their own caliber but also of the sincerely efforts made by all at Gatorade Pacers to provide them best training and support. This initiative is special to me for another reason – it also inculcates the culture of sports science in the players at the young age; which I believe is critical if one were to consistently deliver at one’s best over a long period of time. Optimal hydration is a strong performance differentiator once you have similar skill and fitness levels. We learnt this the hard way, I am happy initiatives like this are exposing young students, coaches and administrators to the importance of optimal hydration

I am absolutely thrilled to have got this opportunity to be a part of the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence. It is an absolute privilege to be able to share my experience and expertise with budding pace bowlers. I am happy that my favourite sports drink Gatorade has initiated this centre and together with Sekar, I will strive hard to make it as big success as it promises to be.”

TA Sekar, India’s leading fast bowling coach, with be the chief coach of the centre said, “I feel privileged to have learnt the basic of scientific coaching from the world’s best coaches and institutions. I am fortunate to have been able to put the knowledge and skill to good use. I have given 20 years to the mission of developing strike bowlers that will make India proud! I was delighted so see the same passion in Gatorade team. Gatorade is talent spotter and I am privileged to help them in both spotting and shaping the talent. What makes this initiative special, I think, is that it is conducted in a serious and result-oriented way. No wonder then that the initiative has seen the success it has seen. I am delighted to take it to the next level with the help of subject experts like Wasim and Ramji.”

The Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence will also have Ramji Srinivasan, India’s eminent sports fitness expert, as the chief fitness advisor. Srinivasan will look after initial fitness assessment, individualised fitness plans for appropriate strengthening and conditioning and also injury prevention and management.

Wasim Akram, the Sultan of Swing, will impart cutting-edge knowledge about bowling variations and strategy which will cover identifying batsman’s weaknesses, formulating bowling strategy basis the prevailing conditions and executing the same flawlessly. Akram will of course impart advanced knowledge of swing bowling to the Gatorade Pacers’ national winners.

On the sidelines of the launch of the centre, the national winners of the 2009 edition of its Pace Bowling Talent Hunt - Gatorade Pacers, were also announced.

A panel of selectors led by Sekar also announced the names of eight winners, who have been selected for the 15-day national camp at the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence.

The winners are:

Under 19 –

* B Gautham
* Karan Thakur
* Rajesh Singh
* Himanshu Shailey

Under 22-

* Ankit Pathare
* Mohd Abdul Baseer
* Vikas Tokas
* Sukhvir Singh

The lucky winners will receive once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be trained at the Gatorade Centre for Pace Excellence through a comprehensive training programme designed by T A Sekar. There will be two training camps– one in July and the second one is scheduled to take place in October.

‘Gatorade Pacers’ 2009 edition saw over 67,500 aspirants from over 2,000 schools, colleges, sports clubs as well as State Cricket Associations across India in the regional rounds. These rounds were held for u-15 and u-22 talent across the seven cities of Chandigarh, New Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.

Eminent coaches and selectors associated with Gatorade Pacers such as Javagal Srinath, T A Sekar, Suru Nayak, Uday Gupte, Venkatpathy Raju, Ashish Kapoor, David Johnson, evaluated the participants during the selection rounds. The selection criteria involved measuring bowling speed with a speed gun, Accuracy as measured by line judges and the chief selector’s assessment of the participants bowling action and potential. Two additional parameters – fielding skills and fitness were also included in the national finals round.

Comments: Shameless. I thought he said he wouldn't make a good coach. I guess we just didn't have the $ to keep him around in Pak.

[12thMan]

I am happy that my favourite sports drink Gatorade has initiated this centre He also abandoned Pepsi .... sports drink of the champions

[bounced]

He also abandoned Pepsi .... sports drink of the champions
Pepsi and Gatorade is the same company

[Wazeeri]

This will be the last straw.
If the above news is confirmed by more credible sources

I am no longer a fan of Wasim Akram.

[mali9]

KOLKATA: India has expressed concerns about Swat truce deal between Pakistani government and Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi.

Talking to media here on Sunday, Mukherjee alleged that Pakistan was not taking any step to thwart cross-border infiltration and only issuing statements of clarification.

He accused Islamabad of being in denial mode over cross-border terrorism.

Commenting on the Pakistan-Taliban ceasefire deal in Swat valley, he said the Pakistan government's deal with Taliban is a matter of concern for India.

"No talks should be held with terrorist outfit like Taliban," he said


i think wasima dont care about pakistan and its honour and rspect, . i think somebody needs to make him realise that india is giving too much crap to pakistan they hate us look at this news i posted how mukharji jaangali ka bacha saying thing about pakistan, these players are sham for my country, icl, ipl players especially wasima ulu ka batha. they all should change their nationalities.

[Crickteria]

http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=15711837



Comments: Shameless. I thought he said he wouldn't make a good coach. I guess we just didn't have the $ to keep him around in Pak.

Contrast that with WAQA. Always eager and willing to help here whether he is asked or not. And yes, Wasim has said it many times that he wouldn't make a good coach when asked about coaching the PAk side or the bowlers.

[Prince of Pakistan]

Wasim first made us , now he is gonna destroy us

[kingusama92]

I swear this guy is a sell out if this is true. He should be classed as a traitor if this ends up being true.

[12thMan]

Pepsi and Gatorade is the same companyI didn't know that. So Pepsi bought them or bought who bought gatorade before them

[shaun3]

I didn't know that. So Pepsi bought them or bought who bought gatorade before them


From OP:
Launching the centre in New Delhi, Geetu Verma, Executive Director – Innovations and Business Development, PepsiCo India Holdings, said,

So I guess Pepsico owns gatorade. Pepsico is huge, they own frito-lays and other food co.'s as well i think

[12thMan]

From OP:I just read the bolded part as this news is old so not interesting enough to read

[shaun3]

I just read the bolded part as this news is old so not interesting enough to read

The OP article was posted today, but after you said that I did a google news search and found the same news from around Feb 13-15. Sorry for the old news guys.

Talk about a late break for that source!

[dblock]

Is he not watching the first test in Karachi?

Personally I think he is still hurt by the accusations and controversy of the mid to late 90's when he was captain.

For that reason he still wants to stay at arms length from being involved in Pakistani cricket, knowing how sour it can turn.

All the events in the PCB administration of the last few years are ample evidence for him.

[siddharth]

Contrast that with WAQA. Always eager and willing to help here whether he is asked or not. And yes, Wasim has said it many times that he wouldn't make a good coach when asked about coaching the PAk side or the bowlers.
Yes Waqar's charity work was great.

[12thMan]

The OP article was posted today, but after you said that I did a google news search and found the same news from around Feb 13-15. Sorry for the old news guys.I think this has been going on for many months, started with Akram to coach or run academy in Dehli. It is not Feb 13-15 which I don't think any one posted or I missed it.

[Crickteria]

From OP:

So I guess Pepsico owns gatorade. Pepsico is huge, they own frito-lays and other food co.'s as well i think

Yes, Gatorade is owned by Pepsico. They had bought them over a decade ago. At one point they also owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains. In the 1990's they split the company into 2 with the restaurant division going to the new company named " YUM BRANDS ".
Snacks and drinks stayed with Pepsico. They had also purchased Tropicana ( juices ) and Quaker later on.

[Crickteria]

Yes Waqar's charity work was great.

I am glad his charity work was to your satisfaction. :))

[IronMan2009]

He is only coaching kids not the national team. Anyway all the teams have foreign coaches these days. So no big deal. Lawson, Woolmer, Rixon they all coached Pakistan. Inti coached Punjab. Bedi has advised almost all the spinners visiting India. It is just sharing of wisdom and knowledge about the game. Sports has no boundaries.

[shaun3]

Yes, Gatorade is owned by Pepsico. They had bought them over a decade ago. At one point they also owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains. In the 1990's they split the company into 2 with the restaurant division going to the new company named " YUM BRANDS ".
Snacks and drinks stayed with Pepsico. They had also purchased Tropicana ( juices ) and Quaker later on.

YUM BRANDS hahahaha

btw how do u know so much about pepsico???

[Crickteria]

YUM BRANDS hahahaha

btw how do u know so much about pepsico???

I managed a Taco Bell in a previous life ( 1987 -1990 ) when it was part of Pepsico. But most of the information is due to the fact that i do follow the company closely as an investor. I don't currently own it but have owned it several times in the past.

[Random Aussie]

Is he not watching the first test in Karachi?

Personally I think he is still hurt by the accusations and controversy of the mid to late 90's when he was captain.

For that reason he still wants to stay at arms length from being involved in Pakistani cricket, knowing how sour it can turn.

All the events in the PCB administration of the last few years are ample evidence for him.

This.

Don't know if you saw the legends of cricket series on Wasim done by English TV but he talked about it there and you can see he is still upset about it, I mean they kidnapped his father didn't they?

[Crickteria]

This.

Don't know if you saw the legends of cricket series on Wasim done by English TV but he talked about it there and you can see he is still upset about it, I mean they kidnapped his father didn't they?

Is he angry about the general public or the country itself or the government of Pakistan or Pak cricket team or all of the above?

If he is that upset then might as well move someplace. His current attitude is not going to make things better for him. There are a lot of people in Pakistan who are still upset with him for not coming clean. They are convinced that he has not told everything.

[Random Aussie]

Is he angry about the general public or the country itself or the government of Pakistan or Pak cricket team or all of the above?

If he is that upset then might as well move someplace. His current attitude is not going to make things better for him. There are a lot of people in Pakistan who are still upset with him for not coming clean. They are convinced that he has not told everything.

Not sure but anyway I thought Wasim has not lived in Pakistan since that time anyway - does he actually live in Pakistan?

Lived in England mostly IIRC

[bounced]

Yes, Gatorade is owned by Pepsico. They had bought them over a decade ago. At one point they also owned KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurant chains. In the 1990's they split the company into 2 with the restaurant division going to the new company named " YUM BRANDS ".
Snacks and drinks stayed with Pepsico. They had also purchased Tropicana ( juices ) and Quaker later on.
Actually Gatorade was part of Quaker Oats. When Pepsi bought Quaker back in 2000 Gatorade became part of PepsiCo as well.

[Crickteria]

Actually Gatorade was part of Quaker Oats. When Pepsi bought Quaker back in 2000 Gatorade became part of PepsiCo as well.

You are correct. Gatorade was part of the Quaker deal. It was Tropicana that was purchased separately in 1998.

[saqlain]

I think Wasim Akram is an independent man and he has the right to work for who ever he wants to work for. Sometimes we take this "patriotism" to extreme levels. I am not quoting any specific sourse but I remember reading at more than few times on internet where he stated that he is ready to coach or work with Pakistani pacers as well. Someone needs to ask PCB if they have approached Wasim or give him any proposal to work with Pakistani pacers. I am not sure if PCB ever asked Wasim or submitted him some proposal or a plan to work with Pakistani bowlers. And IF he refused to work or showed no interest then it isabsolutely understandable if people get upset at Wasim. However, If that is not the case he is free to coach anywhere in the world to earn his living. I am guessing Wasim is not working for free at this academy or camp he must be charging then quite a bit for his services.

[khilari]

i hate him now
n i am fully aware how strong of a word 'hate' is

[IronMan2009]

I think Wasim Akram is an independent man and he has the right to work for who ever he wants to work for. Sometimes we take this "patriotism" to extreme levels. I am not quoting any specific sourse but I remember reading at more than few times on internet where he stated that he is ready to coach or work with Pakistani pacers as well. Someone needs to ask PCB if they have approached Wasim or give him any proposal to work with Pakistani pacers. I am not sure if PCB ever asked Wasim or submitted him some proposal or a plan to work with Pakistani bowlers. And IF he refused to work or showed no interest then it isabsolutely understandable if people get upset at Wasim. However, If that is not the case he is free to coach anywhere in the world to earn his living. I am guessing Wasim is not working for free at this academy or camp he must be charging then quite a bit for his services.


Well put. Dennis Lillee started fast bowling academy in India way back in the 80s if i am right. He has been helping lot of bowlers since. He is doing it out of love for the game. If i am right he doesn't even get paid much.

[cricket_crazy]

Wasim Akram has made it clear that he would help Pakistani cricket in any way if PCB approaches him. If they haven't approached him then what can he do.

About his constant praise for India, well Ramiz Raja has also praised India saying they are the team to beat. Now are we going to question his 'patriotism' as well? The fact is, every one wants to make money and in today's time India is a huge source of income for cricket-related professionals.

As for helping Indian youngsters, I also recall an article where it stated that Sreesanth spent a session with Waqar Younis. Younis Khan has credited a portion of his success for the tips he received from Rahul Dravid. The fact is that Wasim Akram is well respected in India and Indian pacers look to ask him for tips. If the Pakistani players ask him for tips I'm sure he would help them as well. In fact I remember reading a Shoaib Akhtar interview where he credited Wasim Akram for helping him fix his run-up for the England's tour of Pakistan in 2005. It was also Wasim Akram on whose recommendation Sohail Tanvir was selected for T20 World Cup.

[Genghis]

Even Sohail Khan I beleive in a PP interview has mentioned Wasim Akram helped him with his bowling.

[cricket_crazy]

KOLKATA: India has expressed concerns about Swat truce deal between Pakistani government and Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi.

Talking to media here on Sunday, Mukherjee alleged that Pakistan was not taking any step to thwart cross-border infiltration and only issuing statements of clarification.

He accused Islamabad of being in denial mode over cross-border terrorism.

Commenting on the Pakistan-Taliban ceasefire deal in Swat valley, he said the Pakistan government's deal with Taliban is a matter of concern for India.

"No talks should be held with terrorist outfit like Taliban," he said


i think wasima dont care about pakistan and its honour and rspect, . i think somebody needs to make him realise that india is giving too much crap to pakistan they hate us look at this news i posted how mukharji jaangali ka bacha saying thing about pakistan, these players are sham for my country, icl, ipl players especially wasima ulu ka batha. they all should change their nationalities.

This has been going on for the past 60 years. Yet our artists happily go to India to earn money too. Pakistani players still wanted to go play in IPL. So then by your logic these people also do not care about the honour of Pakistan...

[161]

I don't think Akram is a particularly good bowling coach.

He had a unique style that he and only he could pull off.

[shabs100]

imagine this senario: Wasim - bowling coach of India vs. Waqar - bowling coach of Pakistan.

[IronMan2009]

imagine this senario: Wasim - bowling coach of India vs. Waqar - bowling coach of Pakistan.

Never going to happen. Prasad is a proper coach. He is a ceritified coach. Akram will be used to provide teams to young kids.

[siccric]

I think it is very unfair to see expat Pakistanis criticizing Akram for helping another country when they are doing the same thing on a smaller level...

[Oxy]

I think it is very unfair to see expat Pakistanis criticizing Akram for helping another country when they are doing the same thing on a smaller level...

Yep - I'm off to Buckingham Palce right now to tell the Queen of England what a great Monarch she is...

I do it all the time.

[pace007]

Personally I think he is still hurt by the accusations and controversy of the mid to late 90's when he was captain.

For that reason he still wants to stay at arms length from being involved in Pakistani cricket, knowing how sour it can turn.

All the events in the PCB administration of the last few years are ample evidence for him.

well said.i agree with this post - to me, Akram seems to be holding a grudge against the PCB for the way he was treated and the many controversies he went through as a player

[abc_to_xyz]

I don't know why he's sooooooo much obsessed with India? All Comments in the favour of india, all help for indian cricketers..... I think he was in Pakistan's team!

[McBoom]

Its all about money for Chakram. Whether it be fixing matches or fixing Indian bowlers.

[siccric]

Yep - I'm off to Buckingham Palce right now to tell the Queen of England what a great Monarch she is...

I do it all the time.


You're contributing to the prosperity of England whilst letting Pakistan suffer. It's fine if you call yourself English but in that case you shouldn't be criticizing how things are run in Pakistan so often

[Oxy]

You're contributing to the prosperity of England whilst letting Pakistan suffer. It's fine if you call yourself English but in that case you shouldn't be criticizing how things are run in Pakistan so often

Are you Canadian?

[siccric]

Are you Canadian?

Pakistani

[Zaz]

Yeah i dont think he has the patience of attributes to be a coach, nevertheless he does have a lot of skill to pass on.

I dont know if he has been approached by PCB. If they do he must show some patriotism and accept it.

If he has rejected the offer and is going india for money than that is wrong and unpatriotic (with whats being going on since mumbai).

He must also try and keep his mouth shut when it comes to making remarks about india are the best, their seamers are best etc.

He must show more loyalty towards pakistan

[Monsee]

I think Wasim Akram is an independent man and he has the right to work for who ever he wants to work for. Sometimes we take this "patriotism" to extreme levels. I am not quoting any specific sourse but I remember reading at more than few times on internet where he stated that he is ready to coach or work with Pakistani pacers as well. Someone needs to ask PCB if they have approached Wasim or give him any proposal to work with Pakistani pacers. I am not sure if PCB ever asked Wasim or submitted him some proposal or a plan to work with Pakistani bowlers. And IF he refused to work or showed no interest then it isabsolutely understandable if people get upset at Wasim. However, If that is not the case he is free to coach anywhere in the world to earn his living. I am guessing Wasim is not working for free at this academy or camp he must be charging then quite a bit for his services.



Not to disagree about any of the above but in the past whenever he was approached...he cited his commentary and other prior commitments as a reason to not be able to do a permament coaching job!

I understand PCB is not the greatest organization to work with or they don't pay as well as PCB...but there is a thing called giving back which Aaqib, Saeed Anwar, Mudassar, Waqar etc. know a heck lot more about then Pandit Akram Desai!

It is not like he needs any more money...he probably made more money than any Pak cricketer from the present and past...

[the Great Khan]

not surprised really..everyone knows what he got up to in his playing career when it comes to fixing!!...anyone watching the 99 cup final will know what was going on!!...theres a reason saeed anwar doesnt talk about it!...they made malik the fall guy because pakistan needed him at the time..he's a legend as a player but as a human being he's a pompus git who deserves a good juti..oh I met him in 1996 by the way!!

[Savak]

Pakistan needs Waqar Younis as bowling coach. We dont need Wasim Akram.

[Islamabadi]

Wasim akram is a professional and as a prof u can't be nationalist. Right now south africa is the top team and the only team tht can beat them is india so can south african consider gery christen as a traitor. Our ppl r mad close minded and plus wasim stayin away from pcb and its politics is a way to keep ur respect up ...look at waqar and inzamam...wht pcb did to them...destroyed their respectful image and put them in media as power and money hungry individuals....if I was wasim I wud have opened my academy and anyone from any nation can come and learn the art of bowling from me but since thts not the case and the guy wana enjoy his life now..we gotta let him breath....on the other hand money talks...pepsi must be payin him wht pcb can't afford so y shud he let it go..wud anyone of us had let it go if given a shot at it...answer is noooo.....we shud question ourself instead of others when it comes to wht have we done for our country....

[shaun3]

Wasim akram is a professional and as a prof u can't be nationalist. Right now south africa is the top team and the only team tht can beat them is india so can south african consider gery christen as a traitor. Our ppl r mad close minded and plus wasim stayin away from pcb and its politics is a way to keep ur respect up ...look at waqar and inzamam...wht pcb did to them...destroyed their respectful image and put them in media as power and money hungry individuals....if I was wasim I wud have opened my academy and anyone from any nation can come and learn the art of bowling from me but since thts not the case and the guy wana enjoy his life now..we gotta let him breath....on the other hand money talks...pepsi must be payin him wht pcb can't afford so y shud he let it go..wud anyone of us had let it go if given a shot at it...answer is noooo.....we shud question ourself instead of others when it comes to wht have we done for our country....

I agree, you're right he is a professional and no one should begrudge him earning top dollar after what he has accomplished.

the problem with Wasim, however, is that he continually makes excuses for not coaching Pak. He has cited media/commentary commitments, he has even said that he would not make a good coach because he does not have the patience or nous for coaching. However he is quick to help out the Indian players, and has even worked extensively and personally with a lot of their bowlers.

He cannot have his cake and eat it too. If he is simply making business decisions, then he needs to stop kidding everyone and just say so.

[FAHAD KHAN]

Comon guys this guy is a convicted match fixer in his day according to the justice qayyuam inquiry.He was not patriotic evan when he was playing for Pakistan why would he care now

[Monsee]

Wasim akram is a professional and as a prof u can't be nationalist. Right now south africa is the top team and the only team tht can beat them is india so can south african consider gery christen as a traitor. Our ppl r mad close minded and plus wasim stayin away from pcb and its politics is a way to keep ur respect up ...look at waqar and inzamam...wht pcb did to them...destroyed their respectful image and put them in media as power and money hungry individuals....if I was wasim I wud have opened my academy and anyone from any nation can come and learn the art of bowling from me but since thts not the case and the guy wana enjoy his life now..we gotta let him breath....on the other hand money talks...pepsi must be payin him wht pcb can't afford so y shud he let it go..wud anyone of us had let it go if given a shot at it...answer is noooo.....we shud question ourself instead of others when it comes to wht have we done for our country....




So, he has respect that way but did he ever consider not fixing games for the respect and honor of the country?

Country comes first before everything...sadly, for Akram, the country comes last unless it is India!

[Riff]

I swear this guy is a sell out if this is true. He should be classed as a traitor if this ends up being true.

How is he a traitor? The man has got a family for whom he has to provide for. Best of luck to you Akram Saab :D

[Mohsin]

OK this is now seriously starting to p1ss me off now Wasim!

[Cric_King]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075O6fRJesQ&feature=related

wasim akram qoutes 'swing will eventaully get you more wickets than pace'

indians are so lucky to have a bowling coach as good as him, shame on PCB for relying on waqar younis instead of akram

akram is a far more skillful, talented and knowledgable bowler than waqar or aqib and even imran khan was

[minhasuz]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=075O6fRJesQ&feature=related

wasim akram qoutes 'swing will eventaully get you more wickets than pace'

indians are so lucky to have a bowling coach as good as him, shame on PCB for relying on waqar younis instead of akram

akram is a far more skillful, talented and knowledgable bowler than waqar or aqib and even imran khan was
Not just "skillful, talented and knowledg[e]able" but is a bigger traitor them too

[siddharth]

Not just "skillful, talented and knowledg[e]able" but is a bigger traitor them too
so why do u want a traitor anywhere near to ur cricket establishment ?

[Cric_King]

How can you call wasim akram a traitor :pissed:

this guy played for pakistan for 18 years , always gave his best, never had any diciplinary problems , always humble and a great captain , lead us to world cup win and a world cup final and many series win and took nearly 1000 (ODI/TESTs) wickets for pakistan, he put pakistan on the map and is known as one of the great bowlers ever to grace a cricket field...not to mention he groomed many pakistani bowlers in the form of shoaib akhtar/ azar mahmood/ razzaq etc

Did Wasim ever say he would not help pakistani bowlers?

no , he always states he offered any pakistani bowler help when they asked him to , he led many training camps and the likes of tanvir/asif and gul have all worked with him

http://www.daily.pk/sports/sports-news/3959-i-will-consider-coaching-pakistan-team-wasim-akram-also-shoaib-akhtar-is-unfit.html

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram said on Monday if he was offered to coach Pakistani team he will consider it.
“Coaching Pakistan is a great pride, it is some thing returning back to cricket which gave me so much “,he told reporters on the opening day of Specialized Coaching Camp for fast bowlers being attended by 16 upcoming bowlers at Gadaffi stadium.

Former Test Captain Wasim Akram along with NCA chief coach, Mudassar Nazar and coach Aaqib Javed are supervising the 7-day long activity aimed at polishing the talent of young bowlers.

He said he is busy with his commitments at TV but definitely he would consider the offer if Pakistan cricket Board is serious to hire his services.

“ But I am already serving cricket as I always there to take on short coaching assignments the way I am doing now “,he said.

I blame the PCB for not making the most of Wasim Akram by offering him more roles and getting him involved in PCB

i remember in 1999, when wasim akram came to my school he gave a large donation to the school programme in helping new immigrant school children from kosovo, held a short Q&A session and then took time out of his busy schedule to spend time with our cricket teams, i was only young but i remember shaking hands with him and he gave us all tips and told us most importantly to 'enjoy cricket and play to best of your abilities at all times'

btw it was just a random innercity state school as well

[Monsee]

^^^Cric_Wiz, if he was such a geat servant of Pakistan than why did he indulge in match fixing?

That WC99 final had 'Fixed' written all over for me...in cloudy conditions, with wet conditions and a bowling lineup that could have exploited the conditions very well; he chose to bat first after winning the toss!

Ex Pak captain Mushtaq Mohammed said something like when I heard Pak won the toss, I was over the moon and thought we have almost won the game but then when I heard Akram decided to bat first...I felt like crying.

I guess Pak's greatest servant in your words is not that great after all.

BTW, Akram with all his talent and skill was not greater than Imran...Akram learned most of his skill and trade from Imran!

[the Great Khan]

well moyo is a traitor for providing for his family and not match fixing(in 96 and 99 by the way)...but Ak-ram is not because he did fix, and is now helping our extreme rivals!!..righttt!..

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Regarding this match fixing issue, as an Indian I don't have much knowledge about Akram's controversies related to it. I do know that he was not held guilty, but it was also said that he is not under suspicion.

How many of you fans believe that he indeed was involved in it, and most importantly what makes you think so (apart from that decision to bat first in the WC1999 final) ?

[maamrut]

Regarding this match fixing issue, as an Indian I don't have much knowledge about Akram's controversies related to it. I do know that he was not held guilty, but it was also said that he is not under suspicion.

How many of you fans believe that he indeed was involved in it, and most importantly what makes you think so (apart from that decision to bat first in the WC1999 final) ?

Apparantly its because they lost the WC'99..i thought it was fair game personally. Everything clicked for Aus and the opposite happened for Pak..which knowing them,doesn't surprise me one bit.

The game against Bangla though..that had match-fixing written all over it..esp the shot :ijaz played told you all you needed to know.

[siddharth]

Regarding this match fixing issue, as an Indian I don't have much knowledge about Akram's controversies related to it. I do know that he was not held guilty, but it was also said that he is not under suspicion.

How many of you fans believe that he indeed was involved in it, and most importantly what makes you think so (apart from that decision to bat first in the WC1999 final) ?
For the world cup final,i won't believe it .As he was already under investigation for fixing allegations .He was under tremendous pressure already.so it is difficult to believe that he fixed the finals.

[Ghoshtbuster]

maamrut :)))

second best avatar.

[Ghoshtbuster]

Akram was involved in match-fixing, but got away with it, becasue of who he is. Thus, the people who swell up in pride and tears whenever MoYo is mentioned - should feel even worse when thinking about Akram.

For me, I dont care. Its a game. And when he was playing - it was special.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Akram was involved in match-fixing, but got away with it, becasue of who he is. Thus, the people who swell up in pride and tears whenever MoYo is mentioned - should feel even worse when thinking about Akram.

For me, I dont care. Its a game. And when he was playing - it was special.
Alright, I get your opinion. But what makes you believe so ?

[wez4all]

How can you call wasim akram a traitor :pissed:

this guy played for pakistan for 18 years , always gave his best, never had any diciplinary problems , always humble and a great captain , lead us to world cup win and a world cup final and many series win and took nearly 1000 (ODI/TESTs) wickets for pakistan, he put pakistan on the map and is known as one of the great bowlers ever to grace a cricket field...not to mention he groomed many pakistani bowlers in the form of shoaib akhtar/ azar mahmood/ razzaq etc

Did Wasim ever say he would not help pakistani bowlers?

no , he always states he offered any pakistani bowler help when they asked him to , he led many training camps and the likes of tanvir/asif and gul have all worked with him

http://www.daily.pk/sports/sports-news/3959-i-will-consider-coaching-pakistan-team-wasim-akram-also-shoaib-akhtar-is-unfit.html

Former Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram said on Monday if he was offered to coach Pakistani team he will consider it.
“Coaching Pakistan is a great pride, it is some thing returning back to cricket which gave me so much “,he told reporters on the opening day of Specialized Coaching Camp for fast bowlers being attended by 16 upcoming bowlers at Gadaffi stadium.

Former Test Captain Wasim Akram along with NCA chief coach, Mudassar Nazar and coach Aaqib Javed are supervising the 7-day long activity aimed at polishing the talent of young bowlers.

He said he is busy with his commitments at TV but definitely he would consider the offer if Pakistan cricket Board is serious to hire his services.

“ But I am already serving cricket as I always there to take on short coaching assignments the way I am doing now “,he said.

I blame the PCB for not making the most of Wasim Akram by offering him more roles and getting him involved in PCB

i remember in 1999, when wasim akram came to my school he gave a large donation to the school programme in helping new immigrant school children from kosovo, held a short Q&A session and then took time out of his busy schedule to spend time with our cricket teams, i was only young but i remember shaking hands with him and he gave us all tips and told us most importantly to 'enjoy cricket and play to best of your abilities at all times'

btw it was just a random innercity state school as well

The simple answer you know nothing.........

[Ghoshtbuster]

akram is a far more skillful, talented and knowledgable bowler than waqar or aqib and even imran khan was
emm....no.

He is a great of the game, just two of the others mentioned.

[maamrut]

And when he was playing - it was special.

Absolutely.

[IronMan2009]

Apparantly its because they lost the WC'99..i thought it was fair game personally. Everything clicked for Aus and the opposite happened for Pak..which knowing them,doesn't surprise me one bit.

The game against Bangla though..that had match-fixing written all over it..esp the shot :ijaz played told you all you needed to know.

There was some match fixing in the 90s mostly Sharjah matches. That was a massive scale of match fixing. But after Azhar, Malik, Jadeja were implicated it was hard to do anything without getting attention. But fans started using that as an excuse for their team's poor performance. Sad that is still going on. Anytime their team sucks they would rather see their team being accused of match fixing than accepting they are not as good as they think they are.

[Ghoshtbuster]

Alright, I get your opinion. But what makes you believe so ?
However, once this commission looks at the allegations in their totality, this commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. It is, therefore, recommended that he be censured and be kept under strict vigilance and further probe be made either by the Government of Pakistan or by the Cricket Board into his assets acquired during his cricketing tenure and a comparison be made with his income. Furthermore, he should be fined Rs. 3 lac.

In laymans terms: He most likely did, but its Wasim Akram!

http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/NATIONAL/PAK/NEWS/qayyumreport/qayyum_report.html

[siddharth]

Akram was involved in match-fixing, but got away with it, becasue of who he is. Thus, the people who swell up in pride and tears whenever MoYo is mentioned - should feel even worse when thinking about Akram.

For me, I dont care. Its a game. And when he was playing - it was special.
It was basically two ways .Pakistani fans loved to throw stones at him when he lost the world cup or other matches then enjoyed the Antigua spell and others as well.

They want him and they don't want him all at once .

Thats the case now also. some paksitani fans hate him to the maximum that they want him to be deported to some island or even bigger punishment .

They want him never near to pakistani establishment.At the same time they don't want him any where near to Indians as well.

[maamrut]

However, once this commission looks at the allegations in their totality, this commission feels that all is not well here and that Wasim Akram is not above board. He has not co-operated with this Commission. It is only by giving Wasim Akram the benefit of the doubt after Ata-ur-Rehman changed his testimony in suspicious circumstances that he has not been found guilty of match-fixing. He cannot be said to be above suspicion. It is, therefore, recommended that he be censured and be kept under strict vigilance and further probe be made either by the Government of Pakistan or by the Cricket Board into his assets acquired during his cricketing tenure and a comparison be made with his income. Furthermore, he should be fined Rs. 3 lac.



Haha i would be coaching my rivals too if i were in his shoes.Basically all that they have is Ata-ur-Rahman's word for it,which he changed btw.

[Ghoshtbuster]

the point is, I dont care if he actually did or didnt.

[Cric_King]

about this match fixing and 99 world cup ... some pakistan fans were a disgrace

in 2003 india make it to the finals of the world cup what happens get thrashed by aus?

they are welcomed back as heroes , parades and everything ... they go on to be an even greater team

in 1999 pakistan makes final with a young team gets thrashed by aus what happens?

they were disgraced, death threats , accused of match fixing ect ... pakistan cricket team suffer and things get worse and worse

we need to learn to lose with dignity aswell

[Mohsin]

^^Which we did after the T20 WC........after losing to india

[Monsee]

All those blabbing on and on (without knowing much) about WC99 and how Pak fans are just thankless...Akram's involvement in ensuring Pak is not the one with the trophy can be proven with just one question: Everyone knows that ball generally moves around in England especially earlier in the day...add some rain and cloud cover before the game to the mix and if you win the toss and decide to bat, you better not be captaining Pakistan!

So my question to you is this: Your team is doing well all through the tournament because your bowling is pretty much one of the best and you do know your batsmen usually get exposed in seaming conditions with a heavy cloud cover (and one of your batting stars is out injured)...yet you win the toss and decide to bat first, why (if you are not nuts, can you explain your plan of setting Aussies a formidable target especially since they have one of the best batting lineups ever?)

[cricket_crazy]

^in those days we always batted first if we won the toss because we were poor chasers and almost always lost batting second. So, while Akram may be a match-fixer I don't think your point proves much about his match-fixing.

[Romali_rotti]

^^^Cric_Wiz, if he was such a geat servant of Pakistan than why did he indulge in match fixing?

That WC99 final had 'Fixed' written all over for me...in cloudy conditions, with wet conditions and a bowling lineup that could have exploited the conditions very well; he chose to bat first after winning the toss!

Ex Pak captain Mushtaq Mohammed said something like when I heard Pak won the toss, I was over the moon and thought we have almost won the game but then when I heard Akram decided to bat first...I felt like crying.

I guess Pak's greatest servant in your words is not that great after all.

BTW, Akram with all his talent and skill was not greater than Imran...Akram learned most of his skill and trade from Imran!


Excellent post Monsee, that match was fixed. There was talk about why most of the Pakistani team was up partying the night before till 4 AM in the morning on the night before the WC ? Saeed Anwar dismissal right after he changed bats ? lots of things here..

P>S..I have always said this, 99 WC was Pakistan's if it wasnt fixed, the way Pak team was peaking to the lead up the final they would have trashed Australia without any probs like they did in the match before during the tournament...

[Random Aussie]

Excellent post Monsee, that match was fixed. There was talk about why most of the Pakistani team was up partying the night before till 4 AM in the morning on the night before the WC ? Saeed Anwar dismissal right after he changed bats ? lots of things here..

P>S..I have always said this, 99 WC was Pakistan's if it wasnt fixed, the way Pak team was peaking to the lead up the final they would have trashed Australia without any probs like they did in the match before during the tournament...

Dream on, Pakistan were thrashed by the better team on the day.

You think they would throw a WC final? They would get more money and prestige by winning it not losing it. But whatever, Pakistan must have deliberately lost in spite of all evidence and logic.

Pakistan batsmen could pick Warne so well (as evidenced by their outstanding record against him) that they could make it look like he bamboozled them while deliberately giving up their wickets.

Like India deliberately lost in 2003, and Sri Lanka in 2007. And whichever subcontinent team bombs out of the next WC that must have been fixed too. And the opening match of WC 2003 must also have been fixed.

Laughable.

[Romali_rotti]

Dream on, Pakistan were thrashed by the better team on the day.

You think they would throw a WC final? They would get more money and prestige by winning it not losing it. But whatever, Pakistan must have deliberately lost in spite of all evidence and logic.

Pakistan batsmen could pick Warne so well (as evidenced by their outstanding record against him) that they could make it look like he bamboozled them while deliberately giving up their wickets.

Like India deliberately lost in 2003, and Sri Lanka in 2007. And whichever subcontinent team bombs out of the next WC that must have been fixed too. And the opening match of WC 2003 must also have been fixed.

Laughable.

Mate

Seriously that 99 WC side Pak had was a special one and they easily beat your side in the match before and to see them loose so badly during the next encounter doesnt add up.. Sorry to say this again to you; 99 WC was Pakistan's..... By the way you obviously didnt hear about how much guys like Azzarudin made throwing matches away ? They would have made a heck of a lot more money losing the WC than winning it, lets put t that way......


P.S.. I am not going to mention the name due to obvious reasons ( last time the name was mentioned my post was deleted).. However a certian individual had picked Pakistan to lose the match and bet Australia to win it....That result is quite simple if a few players from the Pak side have been brought out....This is speculation only but when you look at the score and the way Pak played that match well then you start to umm......

[Romali_rotti]

Dream on, Pakistan were thrashed by the better team on the day.

You think they would throw a WC final? They would get more money and prestige by winning it not losing it. But whatever, Pakistan must have deliberately lost in spite of all evidence and logic.

Pakistan batsmen could pick Warne so well (as evidenced by their outstanding record against him) that they could make it look like he bamboozled them while deliberately giving up their wickets.

Like India deliberately lost in 2003, and Sri Lanka in 2007. And whichever subcontinent team bombs out of the next WC that must have been fixed too. And the opening match of WC 2003 must also have been fixed.

Laughable.

India got their butts handed to them fair and square and Sri Lanka was just beaten by the better side....

[IronMan2009]

Ganguly also wrongly elected to field first. Sometimes we pay attention to the strength of the opposition rather than us. Hence the toss decision. Pakistan lost to India, Bangladesh in 1999 world cup. How difficult it was for them to lose to a finalist. Sharjah matches were fixed lot of them. But i am not sure about 1999 world cup. It is just a smoke screen for an inept display. England can say we fixed match with pakistan in 1992 world cup because they bowled Pakistan out for 74 in the prelims. Fact is Pakistan was an unpredictable side. They could deliver a knock out punch to world champion one day. They could as well roll over against a rank minnow next day. There were several proofs in the 90s. Example full strength Pakistan lost a home test series to Zimbabwe. Lost a home series to the then minnow Sri lanka. Without substantial proof based on our imagination we should not discredit deserved wins. It is a sorry excuse. Accept it gracefully and move on.

[Monsee]

^in those days we always batted first if we won the toss because we were poor chasers and almost always lost batting second. So, while Akram may be a match-fixer I don't think your point proves much about his match-fixing.



NO, not under the conditions at hand and with a fast bowling attack we rarely ever had!

When we knew that our batting will not stand in such conditions, we did chose to bat second because there is such a thing as common sense too...

Plus, see the post right after yours...there were a lot of signs which screamed 'Suspicious' in that game

[Monsee]

Ganguly also wrongly elected to field first. Sometimes we pay attention to the strength of the opposition rather than us. Hence the toss decision. Pakistan lost to India, Bangladesh in 1999 world cup. How difficult it was for them to lose to a finalist. Sharjah matches were fixed lot of them. But i am not sure about 1999 world cup. It is just a smoke screen for an inept display. England can say we fixed match with pakistan in 1992 world cup because they bowled Pakistan out for 74 in the prelims. Fact is Pakistan was an unpredictable side. They could deliver a knock out punch to world champion one day. They could as well roll over against a rank minnow next day. There were several proofs in the 90s. Example full strength Pakistan lost a home test series to Zimbabwe. Lost a home series to the then minnow Sri lanka. Without substantial proof based on our imagination we should not discredit deserved wins. It is a sorry excuse. Accept it gracefully and move on.



Predictable Schedictable my ar.se...lets see another team or two shall we?

For example India, always been a batting power house and usually pile on the runs against most teams and almost always against the minnows...but wait what happened here:

http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66149.html
http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/66103.html

Above example proves India is even worse when it comes to being 'Unpredictable', right?

As for the WC99 Final, Wasim can probably answer this question:

With conditions wet and cloudy as heck and ball seaming/swinging around more than usual, and with a brittle batting lineup at best under such conditions (MoYo missing)...you had one of the best (if not The Best) attacks in that WC at your disposal and yet you chose to bat. Please make us understand the logic (if there is one) behind the decision when even Mushtaq Mohammed felt we lost the game the minute you chose to bat after winning the toss?

[the Great Khan]

i rememebr a friend of mine mentioning Ak-ram walking into a bengali restaurant and asking for a beer...the chef shouted "ask him if he wants haraam or Halal food too"..lol..lol

[waqar akram]

How is he a traitor? The man has got a family for whom he has to provide for. Best of luck to you Akram Saab :D
tht dude already has enuff to provide for a few generations and a **** load of alot of other places , was his family living on the streets before this?

[waqar akram]

India got their butts handed to them fair and square and Sri Lanka was just beaten by the better side....
hell yea cuz australia batter first and destroyed a mediocre attack. had akram put them in first in 99 the story might have been something else.
oh and sri lanka was partially robbed of the final by being put under pressure of a cnfusing reduced match. finals are never 20 odd overs long. if it rained the final should have been played some other day. not fair the aussie bat with a clear mind while the lankans try to calculate equations and ****

[IronMan2009]

With conditions wet and cloudy as heck and ball seaming/swinging around more than usual, and with a brittle batting lineup at best under such conditions (MoYo missing)...you had one of the best (if not The Best) attacks in that WC at your disposal and yet you chose to bat. Please make us understand the logic (if there is one) behind the decision when even Mushtaq Mohammed felt we lost the game the minute you chose to bat after winning the toss?
Because Pakistan had won 5 out of 6 defending and lost 2 out of 3 chasing.

[Monsee]

Because Pakistan had won 5 out of 6 defending and lost 2 out of 3 chasing.



He knew fully well that Pak batting will not be able to setup a decent target. then what is the point...with the kind of firepower he had at his disposal in bowling, only a blind man or a person with no interest of winning the match would have elected to bat first (in his position)!