Wasim Akram who captained the Pakistan team in the 1996 World Cup tournament, was surprisingly missing from the playing XI when they clashed with the Indian team in the quarterfinal of the tournament in Bengaluru.

The absence proved expensive for Pakistan because they lost a thrilling encounter and there were many rumors about his absence from the high-octane clash. Although it has been 26 years since that day, Akram still faces the same question.

Recently, he was asked to provide a one-sentence justification for his absence from the match during a live debate on Pakistan news channel A Sports.

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This agitated the celebrated former captain reacted quite angrily in an attempt to put an end to all the rumors and speculation about his absence from that high-value clash against India.

“Main tum logon ko thanda kar hi du (I should finally cool you guys down). I have so many words for this young generation... never ever listen to rumors. Okay? You guys weren't even born when it happened. It's embarrassing when a Pakistani has a go at me,” he remarked.

He then revealed sustaining an injury just days before the India clash while playing against New Zealand.

“I got injured during the game against New Zealand. I got 34 runs. I went for a sweep shot, the fine leg was up, and I got my muscle pulled. That takes six weeks (to recover). The reason hamne press ko nahi bataaya, ki India ko confidence naa mile ki inka main player nahi khel raha (The reason we didn't tell the press was because India would have gained confidence if they knew I wasn't playing),” Akram revealed.

In addition, the former cricketer claimed that Waqar Younis witnessed the entire episode and added that other players should have stepped up rather than having him blamed for the defeat.

“Morning me Waqar ne dekha.. sabne dekha ki mujhe two pain-killer injections lagaaye. But they didn't work. Agar vo match main injured khel jaata, unhone meri mitti aur paleet karni thi. Baaki kya chhole bhechne gaye the, ki agar Wasim Akram nahi khela toh Pakistan match haar gaya? I was injured! (Waqar saw, everyone saw in the morning that I received two pain-killer injections but they didn't work. If I had played with injury, I would have been criticised even more. And even if I wasn't there, there were other players too. What was this logic that we lost because I didn't play? I was injured!),” said Akram.

Here is the video of Akram explaining his absence:

(Hindustan Times Inputs)