Shane Warne claimed Salim Malik tried to bribe him to underperform in a Test match against Pakistan.
Former Pakistan cricketer Salim Malik has responded to Shane Warne’s claims against him. Warne had said that Malik offered him and Tim May $200,000 each to bowl wide of the stumps and try not to take any wickets on Day Five of the 1994 Test in Karachi.
Malik has rubbished Warne's claims and said that this is a publicity stunt from the ex-Aussie spinner to attract viewers for his recently-released docuseries. The series titled ‘Shane’, released by Sony Pictures on January 15, shows Warne's cricketing career with details which wasn't covered in his biography.
"Whenever a former cricketer launches his book or biography or anything or that sort, he tries to make things controversial to get maximum publicity. After 26 years, him bringing it up means that he wants to stir controversy to attract more buyers. In the last several years, so many books have come out and people have followed this same pattern," Malik told Paktv.tv.
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Malik added that Warne was able to dismiss him only once in his career and the anger of the same could be a reason behind this statement.
“Apart from that, I don’t think he has any other motive. Otherwise, he remembered me after 26 years. These things happen in cricket but I guess the poor guy could never get me out. So maybe that’s his anger towards me which hasn’t come down,” he added.
Warne recollected the incident in the documentary ‘Shane’ and said he was in his Karachi hotel room alongside Australian teammate Tim May when they met Malik, who came with the offer.
"We're feeling pretty confident that we're going to knock over Pakistan," said Warne. "I knock on the door, Saleem Malik answers the door. I sit down, and he goes, 'Good match we've got going'. I went, 'Yep, I think we should win tomorrow though'. He goes, 'Well we can't lose. You don't understand what happens when we lose in Pakistan. Our houses will get burnt down, out family's houses will get burnt down'."
“I don’t really know what to say. I just sort of sat there, stunned. And then I go, ‘F*** you, mate. We’re going to beat ya’," Warne had responded.
(With PakTv.tv Inputs)