ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar claims that he was wrongly accused of rape due to his then teammate’s ‘misunderstanding’ with a girl during Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 2005. While speaking on Helo app live chat, Akhtar recalled how he urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to set the record straight as people thought he was involved in the alleged case. “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,” said Akhtar. “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,” he added.
The board eventually put out a statement after media highlighted the case, in order to exonerate Akhtar of any blame in the aforementioned incident. “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. His recall has no connection whatsoever with the uncorroborated and sensationalist reports relating to an incident in Melbourne,” the board said in a release. However, PCB refrained from initiating an internal inquiry since no formal complaint was filed against any Pakistan player. “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,” PCB stated in another press release. “In the absence of a formal complaint, there is no legal basis to press further charges.” The incident is believed to have taken place in a Melbourne hotel, where the Pakistan team were staying for the Boxing Day Test.