Shoaib fails to live his dream, says he is going through hell

Add as a preferred source on Google

Karachi, Mar 9 (UNI) Disgruntled Pakistan spearhead Shoaib Akhtar said he is going through hell after failing to make it to the World Cup in the place he dreamt to bowl----the Caribbean.

''I am going through hell. I have been waiting for this event for two years and to play in a cricket-loving region like the Caribbean was my dream. Not being able to play in the World Cup is like taking all my dreams away,'' Akhtar said.

''I can't describe it in words what it means to miss an event like the World Cup,'' he added.

Akhtar rues the fact that he has played only one match in the West Indies in 2000 and was all the more anxious to bowl here as every paceman aspires to perform well in the Caribbean.

With the chance to play this World Cup gone, the Rawalpindi Express, who is already 31, admitted that it was his last chance to play a World Cup.

''I wanted to be in the Caribbean and I wanted to help my team win but unfortunately my injury forced me to miss the big event and the chance will never come again,'' Shoaib was quoted as saying by the 'Daily Mail'.

But Akhtar said there was nothing new about people doubting his injury.

''I have always played to the best of my abilities but people have doubted my integrity. My injuries have always been doubted as if I am feigning it. People don't understand. Why would I not the play the game I love?'' He was withdrawn from Pakistan's squad on fitness grounds a week ago, after failing to recover from knee and hamstring injuries.

His bowling partner Mohammad Asif was also pulled out of the 15-man World Cup squad due to an elbow injury, badly hitting Pakistan's chances in the showpiece event. Though injuries remain the official reasons for their withdrawal it is understood that continuing doping-related concerns was the main reason.

The pair tested positive last year for Nandrolone in internal dope tests conducted just before the Champions Trophy got underway, but their bans were finally overturned, much to the surprise of the cricketing fraternity.

The ace bowler plans to start training again in two weeks, once the knee injury heals. ''My next target is the Twenty20 World Cup and then we have two good home series against South Africa and Australia, so I will gear up for them,'' he said.

UNI