Saleem Malik rejects Waseem Akram’s smearing as ‘publicity stunt’ 

In response to the accusations by former Pakistan cricketer Waseem Akram in his memoir, Saleem Malik said he did not want to talk about anything that could stir controversy, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Talking to the 24NewsHD, Saleem Malik said it seems that Waseem Akram went for a blame game as a publicity stunt for his book.   

However, he said Wasim has been inflicting big damage upon his stature by stooping down to smearing.

 “I don't know whether Wasim Akram’s writing is a pack of jokes or not.” 

Saleem Malik, a former captain of the Pakistan team (1992-1995), said he would not give any serious answer to these allegations without talking to Waseem Akram. 

“Had I been a selfish or negative person, Wasim Akram would not have been given a chance to bowl in the first match… he could not take six wickets,” he recalled.  

Saleem Malik clarified that laundry machines were available on foreign tours so there was no handwashing.  It seems that such things were incorporated into the book to make the text crispy,  he added. 

Wasim Akram was not spoken to for a year, he concluded. 

Saleem Malik was one of Pakistan’s most wristy middle-order batters. Malik enjoyed his international career but ended his career in a shameful way.

In 2000, he became the first player to be banned – from all forms of cricket – for match-fixing, when Justice Qayyum’s inquiry found him guilty. 

Malik made his international debut in 1982 and represented Pakistan in 103 Tests and 283 ODIs.

He scored 5768 runs in Tests and took five wickets. In ODIs, he scored 7170 runs and picked 89 wickets.