Subscribe to CRICKET HIGHLIGHTS

Akhtar And Asif - ruled out of WC.

Former England batsman Peter Roebuck has branded Shoaib Akhtar “an Impostor”.

The Pakistan Cricket Board yesterday ruled Shoaib and Mohammad Asif out of the World Cup through injury, less than a fortnight from the start of the tournament.

Both bowlers had been suspended by the PCB last year for testing positive to nandrolone, only to have the suspensions lifted on appeal.

“He will not be missed,” Roebuck wrote in his column for The Age newspaper in Australia.

“He does not belong on a cricket field anywhere, let alone representing his country in the game’s most prized event.

“An impostor whose reputation relies on a handful of bursts spread over a career lasting a decade, he has been more trouble than he is worth.”

The former Somerset captain said the World Cup was richer for Shoaib’s absence, adding that it was time for the ‘Rawalpindi Express’ to retire.

“The prospect of him appearing at any stage of the World Cup was bad enough,” he continued.

“The thought of him opening the bowling in the final was offensive. Thankfully, it is not going to happen.

“It is to be hoped that Akhtar never again darkens fields he was supposed to illuminate.”

Subscribe to CRICKET HIGHLIGHTS

• That triggered a dramatic collapse as Bangladesh lost their last five wickets in less than an hour, « Cricket News Says:
  July 11th, 2007 at 3:00 pm

  […] roebuck rips akhtar apart the cb series 2007 and ashes 200607 cricket montage west indies in india odi series 4th odi players to prove their true value england vs australia commonwealth bank tri series 7th odi 2007 1st odi pakistan v sri lanka at abu dhabi may 18 2007 full highlights streakers very funny video englands 06 07 australian cricket tour summary icc names 16 wise men new zealand vs sri lanka 2nd odi last 2 overs part 33 […]