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KARACHI: Former Test opener Aamir Sohail has blamed ex-captain and fast bowling icon Wasim Akram for Pakistan not winning any World Cup after 1992.
Aamir said Wasim was made the captain of the national side in the last-minute till the 2003 World Cup and he feels that is a big reason for their failure to win a World Cup after 1992.
“It’s very simple. Put the 1992 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 would not have been leading the side,” left-handed Aamir remarked.
“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,” he claimed.
The 53-year-old Aamir also said that Wasim’s biggest contribution was to make sure Pakistan didn’t win a World Cup after 1992.
“Look, the biggest contribution by Wasim Akram for Pakistan cricket was making sure Pakistan does not win a World Cup after 92. Imran Khan should be very grateful to him, and he is, by awarding him the presidential award. If he [Wasim] was sincere with Pakistan, we would have easily won the 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups,” claimed Aamir.
Aamir who was a part of the 1992 World Cup-winning side, also said that this matter should be investigated.
“All of this drama happened for a reason. This should be investigated. The culprit behind all this should be brought to the forefront,” Aamir, who played his last World Cup in 1996, concluded.
Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2020
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Comments (91) Closed
May 06, 2020 09:55am
What you did in 1996 should also be investigated
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May 06, 2020 09:58am
Without solid proof these are mere allegations and futile to ask for any inquiry after lots of time gone pass.
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May 06, 2020 10:18am
Who cares about the past. Focus on the future. Wasim and Aamir did a great job.
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May 06, 2020 10:23am
We cannot forget how Amir Sohail and Rameez Raja promoted Junaid Zia, the son of Gen Tauqeer Zia when the general gave them jobs of Chief Selector and Chief Executive. Now they are talking about transparency and professionalism. They were involved in the rebellion against
the captaincy of Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, and Wasim Akram
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May 06, 2020 10:30am
@Hasaan, exactly. Thank you. I was just going to write it,while saw your comment.
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May 06, 2020 10:33am
This man Amir Sohail has made only 5 centuries in 155 ODI, ie one century after every 30 matches, at a poor average of 31.5 per innings as an opener. He should be investigated why he consistently performed so poorly. His centuries include 2 against Zimbabwe, one each against New Zealand, India, and South Africa. Except for South Africa, none were top teams at that time
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May 06, 2020 10:38am
Amir has only 5 test centuries in the entire career and has scored less than 3 thousand runs !!
Rameez Raja has scored only 2 test centuries in his entire career.
Both of them are the biggest mouth currently
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May 06, 2020 10:41am
Lots of allegations in Pakistan cricket have lots of base... But the PCB looks like colluding with every act as never in Pakistan cricket the powerful lobbies who play for money have been disciplined....
So typical of Pakistani justice system, even back in 1999 fiasco times, the ones complaining of match fixing (Basit Ali and Rashid Latif) were made to sit outside the teams and the accused played safely for vested reasons. This is just like ordinary daily justice system in Pakistan
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May 06, 2020 10:41am
There is no limit to what u can think
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May 06, 2020 10:47am
Cricket is a game, you win some, you lose some. Analyse why you lost or won, not search for a scapegoat to blame.
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May 06, 2020 10:48am
“Look, the biggest contribution by Wasim Akram for Pakistan cricket was making sure Pakistan does not win a World Cup after 92. Imran Khan should be very grateful to him, and he is, by awarding him the presidential award. If he [Wasim] was sincere with Pakistan, we would have easily won the 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups,” claimed Aamir.
Very, very valid observation, indeed!
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May 06, 2020 10:49am
Pointless, look for future.
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May 06, 2020 10:54am
With all due respect, 1996 belonged to Srilanka. There wasn't a team that was capable of beating them no matter what ever other teams had in them. 1999 was again a beginning of revolution of Australian domination as they won despite put to chase. It was a batting debacle with a combination of great bowling effort from Aussies. In 2003 Pakistan greats were st their end. It was still a great team but no one could have beaten Australia on those years
To win world cup it needs lots of consistency as it's a long tournament so beating the greatest teams cannot be taken for granted. Without a proper structure in place there is no point blaming individual greats
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May 06, 2020 11:02am
Enough of this rigmarole...
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May 06, 2020 11:22am
@Aslam, indeed:(
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May 06, 2020 11:34am
Unpredictable Pakistan cricket.. At times, they praise one an other. And at times, they vilify one an other.
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May 06, 2020 11:35am
An irrelevant person's attempt to become relevant
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May 06, 2020 11:38am
1999 worldcup could tell us the real story of waseem akram. 132 runs all out at 39 at runrate 3.38. It was a fixed match btw Pakistan and Australia and the whole team should be investigated. Waseem Akram sold Pakistani team against few dollars.
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May 06, 2020 11:41am
Lot of former players are jealous of Wasim Akrams achievements.some decent players themselves have said when they couldn't get a wicket Wasim would take the ball and bowl himself. He would then give ball back to his juniors to clean up the tail. That's the Wasim we know. Giant of the game.
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May 06, 2020 11:46am
In 1999 it was the batting that faltered not the bowling in final. In 1996 it is you who should be investigated. After that tournament Wasim got diabetes and still continued to play like a lion. Shame on you amir sohail. Wasim is the greatest bowler.
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May 06, 2020 11:47am
Akram played big politics and got away with it. He was for sure corrupt but could not deviate under imran Khan leadership.
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May 06, 2020 11:49am
Aamir Sohail was selected only because he is close relative of Waseem Sajjad who was Chair of Senate. Like his uncle he always did politics and always failed
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May 06, 2020 12:11pm
The home test match series loss to Zimbabwe under your captaincy should also be investigated.
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May 06, 2020 12:12pm
Wasim was the pioneer of match fixing, this tag will remain with him for ever.
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May 06, 2020 12:15pm
Must investigation of Wasim Akram activitives on w/cups, so many witnesses Ataur Rehman, Salim Malik, now Aamir sohail, Justice Quyum already fined him Rs.3 lacs, this matter once for all to be investigated and forever closed this fixing. when I was in college I heard in 1996 and 1999, PCB high power commission to investigate.
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May 06, 2020 12:28pm
A third rate side in any case, how does it matter who's to blame for its poor performance, Wasim or someone else.
You are only as good as your players.
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May 06, 2020 12:49pm
There is no doubt Wasim Akram is tainted by corruption allegations. The 1999 team should have won the World Cup and some of their performances especially against Bangladesh were highly suspect.
I think Amir Sohail knows the story behind the official line and should come clean so the matter can be fully investigated.
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May 06, 2020 01:01pm
Hitting four. Then showing arrogance and attitude. What happened next. Clean bowled. This is history.
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May 06, 2020 01:08pm
The Covid virus appears to be taking a mental toll on former cricketers. First Inzy daydreams about scoring 400, now Sohail makes the most damning accusation that has strong tones of defamation.
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May 06, 2020 01:11pm
Akram destroyed our cricket...
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May 06, 2020 01:17pm
@Hasaan, then you dont know about cricket.
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May 06, 2020 01:35pm
Aamir sohail cost the 1996 World Cup with his stupid attitude towards Prasad and getting out next ball. He shouldn’t even talk about 1996!
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May 06, 2020 01:38pm
Lock down has got into his brains. How can you say such nasty things about Wasim Akram? He is the best bowler that Pakistan ever produced after Sarfaraz Nawaz . And please stop living in the past. The past is dark with betting and corruption allegations and counter allegations.
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May 06, 2020 01:49pm
Look who is talking. Always making baseless statements. Come forward with substantial proof. Why were you quiet for so many years.
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May 06, 2020 02:03pm
Wasim’s continuous bowling of short pitch deliveries in World Cups of 1999 and 2003 must be investigated.
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May 06, 2020 02:24pm
Atleast now, everyone is talking about the elephant in the room.
if you want to know what Sohail is saying, search for "Mandela Cricket Cup 1995" in youtube and watch Sohail's wicket in the first finals.. Rashid Latif's career is ruined for calling that as fixing..
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May 06, 2020 02:26pm
No doubt, Waseem was fully responsible for the destruction of cricket in Pakistan.
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May 06, 2020 02:33pm
Immature comment, wasim akram is real gentlemen. Rare Pakistani who did not fall into any controversy.
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May 06, 2020 02:34pm
Too much free time in lockdown?
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May 06, 2020 02:41pm
It means you have to say all other teams participated in world cup after 1992 was not up to mark and only team was best that was pakistan who wont win due to wasim akram?what a imagination.
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May 06, 2020 02:59pm
Aamir, can you wake up?
This was so long ago in the past that bringing this up now will not do much of a good.
So I recommend to let this go.
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May 06, 2020 03:11pm
Why didn't he say that earlier when he was at the helm and the captain of the greenshirt's cricket team?
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May 06, 2020 03:33pm
You just nailed it Amir. Unfortunately, no one talks about it. Everyone talks of Waeem as a legend. No one thinks about how he always let Pakistan down in all the world cups after 1992. Why? Obviously, he was fixing the matches. If Pakistan had any real chance of winning the World Cup, it was in 1996 and 1999. But it was so unfortunate that we couldn’t win, thanks Waseem Akram. And even more unfortunate is the fact that he was never investigated.
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May 06, 2020 03:36pm
Aamir Sohail wakes up grumpy and we have an investigation recommendation
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May 06, 2020 03:37pm
No one will be penalized in our system.
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May 06, 2020 03:44pm
It is a fact Wasim himself acknowledged in a recent interview that, his wrong decision in 1999 world cup final to bat first, after winning the Toss on a day suited to bowlers, resulted in Pakistan's defeat.
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May 06, 2020 03:49pm
So the man has vision after all these years to put the blame on Wasim Akram. If he has the evidence, why did he keep quite for all these years. The problem with Aamir Sohail is that he can't stand the success of Wasim Akram.
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May 06, 2020 03:55pm
Aamir is spot on. It's really hard to forget what Pakistan did in the final against Australia in 1999 and then that defeat to Bangladesh.
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May 06, 2020 03:58pm
I think we are going back in time - Lockdown effect I guess. Yesterday inzeman and today wasim !
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May 06, 2020 04:30pm
Doesnt make any sense. He has some personal issues with Akram it seems. Akram was captain in 96 and 99. Surely he wouldve loved to captain the team to victory.
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May 06, 2020 04:36pm
May be Wasim Akram was not good in managing and motivating team . This's job of the coach and manager too. Putting all the blame on him and then draging Imran Khan into it seems unjust and political.
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May 06, 2020 04:38pm
I still remember the very discouraging moments I was passing through when we lost final to Australia on 1999
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May 06, 2020 04:50pm
Finally some one is saying the truth well done Aamir
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May 06, 2020 04:50pm
Amir Sohail is just being Amir Sohail. He is just jealous of Akram. Sohail is known for saying controversial things. I remember his antics on the field with Prasad, Sidhu, Azhar. He is a clown whose words should be ignored, because it’s just resentment boiling out.
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May 06, 2020 04:51pm
Akram had been involved in fixinga few times.
PCB should stay far from both Sohail and Akram and all other people involved in fixing.
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May 06, 2020 04:59pm
last time you pointed at a bowler, you got clean bowled. Once bitten, twice shy. Where is the shame?
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May 06, 2020 05:01pm
From 1992 to 2003, Pakistan produced some great batsmen and bowlers, but none were great cricketers, except for Saeed Anwar who became a victim of politics. The reason I say this is that individually they were brilliant, but they could never gel as a team and put out consistent performance; they were too busy pulling each other down, playing dirty politics, rebelling against the captain, with some even involved in match fixing. With so much talent, we should have won at least one more world cup between 1992 and 2003
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May 06, 2020 05:04pm
Future is built on past. There was serious gamblers' racket working in Pakistan team headed by Waseem which always made sure that Pakistan team reaches semi-finals and then lose in semi-finals so that their stakes get bigger and eventually get paid. I agree with Aamir! This issue should be investigated without which we shall never be able to win a world cup.
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May 06, 2020 05:48pm
@Hasaan, yeah, 96 world cup best remembered for Aamir and Prasad fight , till now a day ,it gives me goosebumps Everytime I watch.
That was the best moment of 96 world cup
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May 06, 2020 05:55pm
Thats so true.
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May 06, 2020 06:13pm
Amir makes Wasim greater
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May 06, 2020 06:14pm
o you mediocre cricketer Aamir. 1996 what you did calls for investigation and asking you to return all your match fee from there on. a low impact cricketer trying to reach for stars
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May 06, 2020 06:43pm
Good article
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May 06, 2020 07:12pm
Your claims amaze me do you honestly believe you would have won the 1996 1999 2003 world cups come on wake up!!
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May 06, 2020 08:46pm
@nasir, as always you folks are living in the past!
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May 06, 2020 08:48pm
As always you folks are living in the past!
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May 06, 2020 09:04pm
@Leo, Present is dark too, IPL is full of betting. No one can point finger to IPL because of Indian financing to ICC.
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May 06, 2020 10:32pm
Dont ask for the Proofs. Every pakistani knows that wasim Akram was a gambler.
Nothing hidden. Atta-ur-Rehman had also given his statement that Wasim Akram paid him 300000 for weak bowling.
Should be investegated...
And please shame on yourself while talking about the proof.
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May 06, 2020 10:33pm
All, this debate isn't about player performances and averages, its what went on during the 90's, number of players were allegedly involved, some got caught and punished, others slipped thru under the radar.
Entire cricketing world knows what happened when Pak played Bang in the 1999 world cup, large bets were placed before the match...say no more!!
The 1999 final didn't go as expected, it should have been a thrilling showcase between two of the best teams in the tournament, yet Pak literally gave the match away, poor batting, fine bowling by Australia, or poor choice by Wasim to bat first on a wet and cloudy morning at Lords?
Answers on a postcard pls.
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May 06, 2020 10:35pm
True, I already used to say that people only knew that Imran won 92 world cup but he lost both 87 and 83 world cups, they don't bother.
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May 06, 2020 11:07pm
These are very serious allegations from Mr. Aamer Sohail, who has been a great cricketer of Pakistani team and done a great job. Mr. Waseem Akrem had been under the shadows of a mmatches' fixer, but got off without any consequences while few others were punished and career of one , Mr. Saleem Malik, was destroyed by so called Justice Qayyum( I believed that he sold himself for money).
These allegations against Waseem Akrem must be taken very seriously and investigated by a JIT since it is the serious matter of lying and decptions in Pakistanu National Team. Such matters have brought a very bad name to Pakistan.
I hope that this matter gets investigated by a JIT, facts are brought out, and the Ex. Capt Waseem Akrem hets punished if proven guilty. I admire that Mr. Sohail demonstrated courage to come out and talked about it even he will have many calling him bad names because he talked about it. I wish Mr. Sohail the bezt.
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May 06, 2020 11:48pm
Note what he says. Don't look how he says
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May 07, 2020 12:05am
Wasim plays a lot of politics in cricket. No wonder this story might be true. Suhail you should come forward ong time ago then it will be more effective.
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May 07, 2020 04:07am
Aamir has been politically motivated for past few years. He is playing propagandist role as he failed to be anything of significance in cricket world. A third class batsman with below average track record aiming to malign the finest brand Pakistan has ever produced: Wasim
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May 07, 2020 12:03pm
100% right.
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May 07, 2020 03:29pm
Well, he has a point. Seeing that Pakistan deliberately didn't fight in the World Cup Final 1999 against Australia keeping aside that it easily beat Australia in the semis.
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May 07, 2020 03:36pm
@Hasaan, I agree. I still remember the match in Bangalore against India. Pakistan had a target of 288 or 289 runs to chase and the openers Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar beautifully started the innings. The score was more than the required run rate as it had reached 14, and there was pin drop silence in the entire stadium as both Aamir Sohail and Saaed Anwar were hitting bounderies. But then the scenario changed just as Saqlain Mushtaq came running from the pavilion towards Aamir Sohail and said something to him.
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May 07, 2020 03:48pm
through these times of coronavirus there has been great urge from some pakistani ex cricketers to be in news - making unnecessary statements to be in news ! this is just another example
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May 07, 2020 04:00pm
We must learn to respect legends of our generation
Can anyone from the sub continent compete with Wasim Akram
Who wants to lose WC as a captain totally childish comment
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May 07, 2020 05:03pm
It seems like Aamir Sohail is right, because the way way Pakistan losts was self explanatory, sometime your team batsman change the grip and suddenly you lost and other unusual things. Shows that there was something.
But one more thing it also look like that after soo many year somebody hit hammer Aamir Sohail and he start remembering the thing which he forgot to tell in past years.
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May 07, 2020 05:08pm
yawn..Ok, lets move on.
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May 07, 2020 06:04pm
Yes he is right.All gamblers had a field day.
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May 07, 2020 06:57pm
Aamir Sohail was a disuniting figure then and he is the same now. He was great talent but poor team player.
Don’t want to listen to his opinion after 20 years late!!
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May 07, 2020 07:14pm
It is not easy to say this. PCB would not like to investigate this matter. There may be truth that could shake the cricket world.
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May 07, 2020 07:16pm
@Tariq Suhail, erm, if you read the article, thats why Ammir Sohail is saying the matter should be investigated. So we can establish proof.
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May 07, 2020 07:18pm
@Facts Matter, Yes! Great Logic! Lets never care about the past. Lets never learn from the past, lets never learn from our mistakes. Lets never put in procedures to make sure same mistakes are never repeated!
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May 07, 2020 08:50pm
Pakistan cricket has never been a team effort, they have always been an indisciplined lot, successive managements have always been spineless insofar they have always faced political interference. To be a successful side Pakistan cricket needs to move away from government patronage and function as an independent identity with paid membership as its electoral college and the management answerable to that electoral college. Things will then fall in place and the performance of the team will improve with unsavoury characters both in the management and players having been booted out.
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May 07, 2020 09:10pm
Aamir Sohail is the most honest and straight forward cricketer in Pakistan. I fully support him.
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May 07, 2020 09:31pm
Aamir sohail a C grade player who did not have the talent to be in the team but was selected due to connections with pmln and nawaz sharif
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May 07, 2020 10:05pm
@Mighty Indian, yep..comparable only to the sachin tendulkar-led sides in the 90's...even he should be investigated..
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May 07, 2020 10:10pm
@Seedoo, talent alone will not win you much..dedication to craft and commitment to team coupled with talent and fitness will..do the notorious Akmal bros ring a bell ??
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