Shoaib Akhtar made an abortive attempt to get cheap publicity-Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram

Former captain Wasim Akram turns over allegation made by Shoaib Akhtar as an attempt for publicity.
In his just-published biography “Controversially Yours”, the temperamental speedster Shoaib Akhtar claims that Wasim Akram attempted to end his career. “Wasim Akram threatened to walk out with half the team if I was included in the team. General Tauqir Zia backed me against Wasim.”
Wasim replied " These allegations will not effect me..., it is an attempt for cheap publicity".
Bollywood superstar and IPL team owner Shahrukh Khan was also targeted by Shoaib as he accused Shahrukh of cheating. Shahrukh replied by saying that these remarks were com

Shoaib Akhtar alleged that he was cheated by Shah Rukh Khan and Ex- IPL Chairman Lalit Modi

Shoaib Akhta

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has said in his autobiography that India's batting maestro "chickened" out of Faisalabad Test because he was unwilling to face his pace. The fastest bowler in the history of cricket, Shoaib Akhtar has made some sensational claims in his autobiography 'Controversially Yours'. In his book Shoaib has said, "I bowled (Sachin) a particularly fast ball which he, to my amazement didn't even touch. He walked away! That was the first time I saw him walk away from me-that, too, on the slow track at Faisalabad." Taking a dig at veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid, the former Pakistani stump-wrecker has said that The Wall and Master Blaster are not match winners. "I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren't exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing the game," Shoaib said. In his autobiography, Akhtar has also alleged that he was cheated by Shah Rukh Khan and former IPL Chairman Lalit Modi. He states, "Shahrukh and I talked about my not being happy with the money settled on me. Shahrukh and Modi got me to agree. I should have never listened to Modi and Shahrukh." Akhtar, who retired from cricket following the 2011 World Cup, has also shockingly revealed that he tampered with the ball claiming, "everyone tampers with the ball. I did so too. Tampering should be legalised."

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (70), one of India’s most charismatic cricketers died

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, one of India’s most charismatic cricketers and a prolific batsman despite losing an eye, died on Thursday aged 70 following a lung disease, his doctors said.
The former national team captain, better known as the Nawab of Pataudi, was admitted to a New Delhi hospital earlier this month and appeared to be recovering before his condition deteriorated on Wednesday.
“He was suffering from interstitial lung disease which worsened rapidly in spite of the best treatment available,” hospital spokesman SP Byotra told the Press Trust of India (PTI).
Pataudi is survived by his actress wife Sharmila Tagore, two daughters and a son, Saif Ali Khan, who is a popular Bollywood actor.
Pataudi played 46 Tests between 1961 and 1975, scoring 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91 with six centuries, including an unbeaten 203 against England in New Delhi in 1964.
An adventurous batsman, who was not afraid to loft the ball over the infield, played most of his career without his right eye, which he lost in a car accident in England in 1961.
Pataudi became India’s captain at the age of 21 during a tour of the West Indies in 1962 when the then skipper Nari Contractor was injured after being hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith.
He led India in 40 of his 46 Tests, winning nine and securing the country’s first series win abroad in 1967 in New Zealand.
Pataudi’s father, Iftikhar Ali Khan, represented both England and India in Test cricket.
Print adds

India mourns the death of its former captain – some saying its finest – but the grief felt is more or less the same on this side of the border as well with former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief executive Arif Ali Abbasi calling it a huge loss for the game.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi overcame an impaired eye – after an accident – captained India in the 1960s and 70s. He held the record of youngest Test captain until 2004, having led the side at the age of 21 in 1962. He passed away yesterday after succumbing to a prolonged lung disease in New Delhi.
He scored 2,793 runs in 46 Tests with a highest of 203 not out and was also named Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.
‘Pataudi had vision for the game’
“It’s a huge loss for the game,” Abbasi told The Express Tribune. ”He had great vision for the game and his demise is not only a loss for Indian cricket but for international cricket as well. Apart from being a great cricketer, he was also the very good human being and I feel shocked on hearing the news.”
The former PCB chief had strong relations with Pataudi and often hosted the former cricketer on his visit to Pakistan
Meanwhile, former PCB chairman Shahryar Khan – a cousin of Pataudi – termed the former India captain a ‘fine’ person and termed the loss huge for the family.
“He was a family man and this is indeed a very great loss,” said Khan. “I was in India just recently and he was not feeling well at all. He was a very fine person and shared jokes and always wanted people to have a smile on their faces. I remember that he was often reluctant to speak but once he was forced to, he did it very well indeed. His is a huge loss to his family as well as to the entire  cricketing fraternity.”
Career timeline
Dec 1961         Makes Test debut
Jan 1962         Scores maiden century
Mar 1962        Named India’s captain
Feb 1964         Scores career-best 203*
Mar 1968        Leads India to first away Test series win
Jan 1975         Plays his final Test

Pakistani actress Humaima Malik will appear in Indian TV show Bigg-Boss-5

Humaima Malik

There is a strong buzz that the Pakistani actress Humaima Malik might appear as a contestant in Indian TV reality show Bigg Boss 5.Colombian pop star Shakira and the movie ‘Kites’ fame, Mexican actress Barbara Mori have also been approached for Bigg Boss 5. Other names that are doing the rounds for Bigg Boss 5 are: TV actress Parul Chauhan of ‘Bidai’ fame, the small-screen’s famous doctor Dr Armaan aka Karan Singh Grover, the sexy Riya Sen, singer Jay Sean and actress Mink Brar.

It’s said that the serial killer Charles Sobhraj’s wife Nihita Biswas and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu have confirmed their participation in the fifth season of Bigg Boss.

Tyson is expected to visit India between October and December to shoot for the fifth season, which airs in October, reports a daily. This time the show is going to be really big as Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt both are the hosts of the show

Our time was different. Now the camera itself is an artist,” the actress Vyjayanthimala , who turned 75 Sunday

Vyjayanthimala

Her stint with cinema is legendary. Vyjayanthimala, who has lived through the changes in Bollywood, affirms that filmmaking has become easier due to technology and the camera itself has become an artist. “Indian cinema has undergone a huge change technically. I see a huge Western influence in today’s films. Technically, they are so advanced that I think the camera does wonders today. Our time was different. Now the camera itself is an artist,” the actress, who turned 75 Sunday, said in an interview.
A Tamil, Vyjayanthimala entered filmdom with a bang thanks to the success of her first Tamil film ‘Vazhkai’ in 1949, which was later remade in Telugu. And its Hindi remake, ‘Bahaar’, marked her entry into Hindi films in 1951. “I had to adapt many things (to work in Hindi films). It was different from the south,” said the retired actress who ruled the Hindi film firmament in the 1950s and the 1960s. She was loved and appreciated not only for her on-screen persona and performances but also for her flawless dancing skills.
“It has been a long journey, a very wonderful journey, I must say. Whatever I have done in my films and after having worked with such wonderful people, great directors and very nice co-stars and technicians, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I have worked with three superstars - Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor. I have worked with all the Kumars - Dilip Kumar, Kishor Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Manoj Kumar and Rajendra Kumar,” she said. “In those times there used to be all Kumars and no Khans! My maximum films were with Dilip Kumar, said the actress. We shared a certain comfort level and enjoyed the company since ‘Devdas’.”
It was a conscious decision on her part to bid adieu to showbiz after she married Dr Chamanlal Bali, personal physician of Raj Kapoor, and relocated to Chennai. “I still relish those golden memories. I left the industry once I got married to Dr Bali in 1968. Offers kept on pouring in, but we had decided that I wouldn’t work any more. Being a housewife is also a big profession and it comes with a huge responsibility: so is working in the industry. I preferred not to mix them up,” said Vyjayanthimala. She still practises Bharatanatyam and says: “I am still a senior Bharatanatyam performing artist. I take part in dance festivals. There would be a number of shows happening in the coming three months. I would be totally engaged with that.”