Islamabad:
Pakistan's former cricket captain Wasim Akram thinks Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen is "pretty" and he would "like to be paired with her" if he ever chose to star in a movie.
In an interview with Pakistani TV channel Samaa, Wasim answered a wide range of questions about his personal life, cricket career and life after cricket in a candid manner.
When asked about Sushmita Sen, he said "she is pretty" and gave a smile, hinting at the much talked-about relationship between him and the Bollywood heartthrob.
The Indian and Pakistani media had been abuzz about Wasim dating Sushmita when both were hosting a dance show on an Indian channel together. Wasim had denied the rumours.
"A second marriage is out of question at the moment," said Wasim, whose wife Huma died of multiple organ failure at a Chennai hospital last year.
He said that he was "a romantic person at heart and would like to take Angelina Jolie for a date if given a chance". "I turned to show-business after leaving cricket because I wanted to try something different," he argued, adding that he is enjoying his new stint "as much as the first one".
"If I get another life, I would like to become Wasim Akram again," he said.
Regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL), the former fast bowler said, "It is quite a bit of fun and sheer entertainment". He said the T20 cricket, is "entertaining but unfortunately (it has) no quality".
Wasim said that he had always made himself available for coaching youngsters but the approach of Pakistan Cricket Borad (PCB) has "never been proper" in this regard. "I would probably prefer to work as manager or chief selector instead of chairman PCB if given an opportunity," he said in response to another query.
"I was offered the coaching job before Waqar Younis but had prior contracts for the next year or so," he revealed.
On his rivalry with Waqar during the hey day of their career, he said "we both were young and wanted to outperform each other. In the end, it was good for the team," he recalled.
The king of swing bowling said that "inclusion in ICC Hall of Fame was the biggest honour for him".
He did not rule out a stint in politics like his mentor Imran Khan but said "it may come after five-ten years when I have weighed myself".
On the current spot-fixing crisis, he said that "PCB and ICC are confused and don't know how to react".
"The authorities should have made it mandatory for the players much earlier to get their agents cleared from ICC," he said, adding, the "real truth regarding the three Pakistan players and the validity of the allegations is yet to surface".
"All this is getting too much to handle and I hope that the air clears soon," he added.
Three Pakistan players - Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir - are currently suspended for their alleged involvement in spot fixing and bowling no-balls after taking bribes from an alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed during the team's recent England tour.
In an interview with Pakistani TV channel Samaa, Wasim answered a wide range of questions about his personal life, cricket career and life after cricket in a candid manner.
When asked about Sushmita Sen, he said "she is pretty" and gave a smile, hinting at the much talked-about relationship between him and the Bollywood heartthrob.
The Indian and Pakistani media had been abuzz about Wasim dating Sushmita when both were hosting a dance show on an Indian channel together. Wasim had denied the rumours.
"A second marriage is out of question at the moment," said Wasim, whose wife Huma died of multiple organ failure at a Chennai hospital last year.
He said that he was "a romantic person at heart and would like to take Angelina Jolie for a date if given a chance". "I turned to show-business after leaving cricket because I wanted to try something different," he argued, adding that he is enjoying his new stint "as much as the first one".
"If I get another life, I would like to become Wasim Akram again," he said.
Regarding the Indian Premier League (IPL), the former fast bowler said, "It is quite a bit of fun and sheer entertainment". He said the T20 cricket, is "entertaining but unfortunately (it has) no quality".
Wasim said that he had always made himself available for coaching youngsters but the approach of Pakistan Cricket Borad (PCB) has "never been proper" in this regard. "I would probably prefer to work as manager or chief selector instead of chairman PCB if given an opportunity," he said in response to another query.
"I was offered the coaching job before Waqar Younis but had prior contracts for the next year or so," he revealed.
On his rivalry with Waqar during the hey day of their career, he said "we both were young and wanted to outperform each other. In the end, it was good for the team," he recalled.
The king of swing bowling said that "inclusion in ICC Hall of Fame was the biggest honour for him".
He did not rule out a stint in politics like his mentor Imran Khan but said "it may come after five-ten years when I have weighed myself".
On the current spot-fixing crisis, he said that "PCB and ICC are confused and don't know how to react".
"The authorities should have made it mandatory for the players much earlier to get their agents cleared from ICC," he said, adding, the "real truth regarding the three Pakistan players and the validity of the allegations is yet to surface".
"All this is getting too much to handle and I hope that the air clears soon," he added.
Three Pakistan players - Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amir - are currently suspended for their alleged involvement in spot fixing and bowling no-balls after taking bribes from an alleged bookie Mazhar Majeed during the team's recent England tour.
