Akram to stay, for Pakistan

Islamabad: In a sudden volte-face, veteran left-arm seamer Wasim Akram has said he will not quit international cricket in the “best national interest” as the team needs senior players who can “lift its morale”.

After vouching to hang his boots and formally announce his retirement once he reached home after his team’s ignominious exit from the World Cup, Akram said he had no intention of retiring now. “Cricket is not finished in me and I have no intention of quitting the international scene, particularly when the team is in a bad shape after being dumped out from the World Cup,” he said on arrival at Lahore airport late yesterday. “I believe that the team needs senior players who could lift its morale. That’s why I have decided to change my mind in the best national interest,” he said.

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