Shoaib Akhtar: “I was accused of rape then. There was some other boy from the Pakistan team, who had a misunderstanding with a girl. Pakistan team management hid the boy’s doing”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Legendary Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar has made it clear that he was wrongly accused of rape during the team’s tour of Australia in 2005.

Akhtar noted that the whole incident was a misunderstanding and urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to clear his name.

“I was accused of rape then. There was some other boy from the Pakistan team, who had a misunderstanding with a girl. Pakistan team management hid the boy’s doing,” Akhtar said on the Helo app’s live chat as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.

“I asked the board to not reveal the boy’s name, just announce that Shoaib was not there. When that case happened, everyone suspected me.”

The PCB subsequently issued a press release, which cleared Akhtar of any wrongdoing.

“The PCB wishes to clarify that the decision to recall him [Akhtar] was taken in order for him to achieve full fitness in readiness for the India tour,” the PCB said. “His recall has no connection whatsoever with the uncorroborated and sensationalist reports relating to an incident in Melbourne.

In another press release, the PCB added: “Despite the passage of a month, no formal complaint has been lodged either with the police or with the female harassment centre against any member of the team. In the absence of a formal complaint, there is no legal basis to press further charges.”

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