'They spread so much rumours about me that it felt that Pakistan lost only because I didn't play.'
Wasim Akram has accused former Pakistan team-mates of 'lying' about him pulling out at the last minute from the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against India in Bengaluru.
Akram said some of his team-mates still appear on television and blame him for that defeat, despite him missing the match because of a serious injury.
'Before that India game, we had a match against New Zealand in the Gaddafi stadium where I got injured trying to play a sweep shot against Dion Nash.
'What is this talk about last minute pull out? I was the Pakistan captain, we were playing against India in India, why I will pull out last minute? This is beyond me. I fail to understand the critics, Akram said on the YouTube show Batana Hi Padega.
Mohammad Azharuddin-led India outclassed Pakistan by 39 runs in a high-voltage clash at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.
Akram then revealed how his team-mates came together after that defeat and pinned the blame solely on him despite the fact that he did not play that game.
'All my team-mates had a role in this, including the vice-captain under me, I don't want to name this. They all started this so that they don't get the blame for the defeat but instead the blame falls on me.
'When they lost that match against India, I was passing by their room and I could overhear them saying "Let's put the blame on him". I have heard this myself,' revealed the pace great.
'I took four injections the morning of the match to make the area numb and somehow I could play, but the muscle pull was so bad that I couldn't bowl, the injury needed 6-8 weeks to heal. All my team-mates who are blaming me till now for that loss they are all lying.'
'They spread so much rumours about me that it felt that Pakistan lost only because I didn't play. You can't play last minute, this is not gully cricket.'
When asked as to why he is not able to play a role in revival of cricketing relations between India and Pakistan, Akram stated: 'Indians say you talk to your government in Pakistan, but have the Indians also spoken to their government that we are just sportsperson. For me, an Indian boy is the same as a Pakistan boy, they are all young kids, nationality doesn't matter. You ask us to talk to our government, but can you speak to your government?
'When they came here, we welcomed them. When we went there, they welcomed us, but now nobody calls us. So it is from one extreme to another, there is no middle way in our culture.
'Sports is the best thing to bring the two nations together and there is no bigger sport than cricket in India and Pakistan.'
Akram recalled his famous on-field clashes and off-field camaraderie with Ravi Shastri, whom he calls as his 'best friend from India'.
'Ravi Shastri is my best friend from India. I have sledged him a lot, I used to bowl him bouncers because he was tall and he didn't play the pull shot. He used to tell me "in the ground you abuse me and now after the game you come and eat with me".'
He also thanked Sunil Gavaskar and Harsha Bhogle for helping him in his initial days as commentator.
'In commentary we spent 14 years together, Ravi, Sunil bhai (Gavaskar), Harsha Bhogle, all these guys. They really helped me a lot early on when I took up commentary.'
'Off the field, we are all the same, our food is the same, it is just that the border has created the difference.'
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