Mumbai, Feb. 9 : Former Pakistani pace bowler Waqar Younis has defended himself when alleged by his one-time teammate and the captain, Wasim Akram that he (Younis) was trying to deprive Anil Kumble the 10th wicket and thus to become the second bowler in the history of Test cricket in the Delhi Test against Pakistan in 1999.

"Akram is like my elder brother but whatever he has said is totally untrue", Younis, speaking exclusively over his mobile from Australia, said.

Akram had revealed that his last-wicket partner Waqar Younis had almost ruined Kumble’s 10-wicket haul in a Test innings by suggesting of either batsman getting run out "intentionally".

"Akram has a very old habit of telling lies and pulling others, who have never said so".

"Getting run out intentionally is against the spirit of the game and never ever in my dream I would think so", he added.

"It would have been a very ugly way of being run out that way and thus depriving Kumble the 10th wicket, which he rightly deserved".

"In one of the TV shows in India, Akram also tried to pull Inzamam-ul-Haq also by saying that Inzi was a bad runner on the wicket".

"I have played cricket for 25 years and never indulged in any unsporting way".

In fact, when Kumble grabbed the 9th wicket, India captain Azharuddin had a plan for Kumble to have his 10th wicket.

"Azharuddin privately instructed Srinath to bowl a wayward line in his next over", Wisden Almanack has recorded in the report.

"No one dreams of taking ten wickets in an innings, because you can't", Kumble had said then.

England's Jim Laker is the only other Test bowler having achieved this feat against Australia at Old Trafford in 1956.

Undoubtedly, Kumble was the Man of the Match.

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2017 Bipin Dani)