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Akhtar: Money to under-perform
02/04/2008 18:21 - (SA)
Karachi - Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib
Akhtar said on Wednesday he was offered money to under-perform
in matches in South Africa and India but rejected them for the
sake of his country.
Shoaib, who was banned for five years by the Pakistan
Cricket Board on Tuesday for disciplinary reasons, said he was
angry at the suspension because he had always remained committed
to his country.
"This sort of ban has not been enforced anywhere on any
cricketer," Shoaib said on a talk show on Geo Television.
"Not even those players who were investigated on match-
fixing allegations got this sort of ban," he said. "Players who
betrayed their country escaped without such punishment. Why am I
being victimised?" he said.
Shoaib, who said he would appeal the ban this week, said he
had always performed his best for Pakistan.
"I have rejected many offers in the past to under-perform.
It happened in Johannesburg and in India but I never accepted
them because I can't betray my country," he said.
Shoaib said he was living in a democratic country and had
every right to air his views on domestic cricket or the central
contracts.
He had criticised the PCB in January for his removal from
the list of centrally contracted cricketers.
"They drop me from the contracts list. They force me to play
on pitches on which batsman scores 300 in a day and yet one
can't even complain," he said.
Shoaib said he had rejected million-dollar offers from the
rebel Indian Cricket League because it was not recognised by the
board.
"I am not going to accept this ban and will fight it to the
end. Even if I have to retire from the game I will do it to
pursue this case but I will not allow them to stigmatise me," he
added.
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