ONE of the world's great cricketers was in Oxford last night to promote his autobiography.

Wasim Akram, the Pakistani and Lancashire all-rounder, spoke to students at the Oxford Union about English touring teams, match-fixing scandals and the extraordinary events that led to him resigning the Pakistani captaincy.

Wasim, who is in his benefit year with Lancashire, revealed how he was forced to step down as skipper of the national side after he was accused of deliberately throwing games during the Sharjah one-day tournament won by England before Christmas.

"I was a hero after we beat the West Indies 3-0 in the Test series," Wasim said. "But after we failed in Sharjah I had my house stoned and effigies of myself burnt.

"It is crazy in Pakistan. They gamble and when they lose they have to blame someone, so they think it is because the players have been bribed. Part of the problem is that a lot of gamblers are in the media and they are also upset.

"When we lost one game, a group of taxi drivers kidnapped my father and returned him the next day covered in bruises. They were angry because they had sold their taxi to put a bet on Pakistan - and we lost." Wasim also gave an insight into the intense personal feuds in the Pakistan dressing room, explaining how Imran Khan retired because none of the players would attend fund-raising functions for his cancer hospital, how Waqar Younis "cronies" in the team would call the Glamorgan paceman 'skipper' when Wasim was in charge and how "nobody respects" the current captain Aamir Sohail.

Wasim also attacked the attitude of recent English touring teams.

"They moan and moan and moan. They are top of the charts for that - and then they lose. They went to Zimbabwe and complained that the facilities were poor, but they forget that they are there to promote the game."

And he expressed his disappointment with some of the disparaging comments made about Pakistan by England players.

"Ian Botham should not have said that he would not send his mother-in-law to Pakistan. Since then no Pakistani has respected Botham, no matter what a great cricketer he was. I complain about practice facilities and wickets but I will never disrespect another country and another culture."

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