India, Jan. 12 -- Despite achieving numerous accolades for Pakistan and bringing the nation and its cricket pride, Wasim Akram still faces criticism for an incident that occurred 30 years ago. The year was 1996, and the occasion, the World Cup quarterfinal between India and Pakistan. For decades, Akram has been accused of deliberately skipping the knockout game against arch-rivals, and although the former Pakistan captain has time and again explained that it was an injury that kept him out, the Sultan of Swing, for the first time, has revealed that this theory stemmed from some of his ex-teammates from that squad.

Akram repeated himself, recalling how he injured his abdominal muscle while playing a sweep shot against Dion Nash during Pak...