Wasim Akram’s allegations against Saleem Malik about him acting selfishly and treating him like a servant during the early years of Akram’s career have been rubbished by the former Pakistan captain. In his recently released autobiography ‘Sultan: A Memoir’, Akram claimed that Malik took advantage of Akram’s junior status in the team and asked him to clean his clothes and boots.
In an interview, Malik, who has represented Pakistan in 103 Tests and 293 ODIs, denied those allegations and said that he won’t make any comment till reading the book or speaking with Akram.
“I want to ask him for his view on his comments and in what sense did he write those. We used to go on tour for Pakistan tours, there used to be laundry machines there. We didn’t have to use our hands,” Malik told 24 News.
He added, “Till I don’t talk to him or I don’t check his book. I don’t want to comment on it. We are colleagues and spent good time together. So I don’t want to create any controversy.”
Notably, Akram made his debut under the captaincy of Malik and went on to become one of the greatest bowlers to have played the game, arguably the greatest left-arm pacer in the history of cricket. He ranks at no 6 in the list of leading wicket-takers in international cricket having 916 wickets to his name in 532 innings at an average of 23.57.
If I was selfish, then how did he play his first match under me? : Saleem Malik
“If I was selfish, then how did he play his first match under me? So why would I let him bowl,” Malik said.
He further said that Akram, by making such claims, is insulting himself.
“The way he is talking about clothes and massage, he is insulting himself. Till I don’t talk to him, I won’t know in what sense he wrote it,” he said.
In his book, Akram called Malik ‘selfish’ and ‘negative’.
“He would take advantage of my junior status. He was negative, selfish and treated me like a servant. He demanded I massage him, he ordered me to clean his clothes and boots,” reads an excerpt from the biography.
