Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar may feel he is entitled to an opinion, but his comments on Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid in 'Controversially Yours' - a new autobiography - have not gone down well with the Indian cricket board.
Some BCCI officials are now demanding that Akhtar apologise to the players for his "offensive" comments. IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla told TOI on Sunday: "Has he forgotten how Tendulkar treated him during the Centurion World Cup match in 2003? He was whacked all over the park. He should apologize to both Tendulkar and Dravid for saying what he said in the book.
"A player like Tendulkar does not need a certificate from Shoaib. He has got that from Australian legend Don Bradman. Regarding Rahul Dravid, he has made centuries in all conditions and against all attacks.
Both don't need to prove anything to Shoaib. Who is Akhtar to write all this?"
In the book, Akhtar has scoffed Tendulkar and Dravid's match-winning capabilities and suggested that Tendulkar appeared to be 'scared' of his short-pitched stuff. Tendulkar has refrained from reacting. Following the furore over the comments, though, the book's launch in Mumbai was called off on Saturday and protests continued till Sunday.
Shukla added: "He (Tendulkar) is still touching new heights and as far as Dravid is concerned, he is continuing to play some great knocks which underline his commitment to the team. He showed what he could do with the bat in England. Whatever Shoaib has written is distasteful," Shukla added.
BCCI CAO Ratnakar Shetty, said: "His comments don't deserve any attention.""Akhtar is a retired cricketer and we can't even ask the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to intervene. He has spoken a lot of ill even about Pakistan cricket and how their fast bowlers tampered with the ball. No one can take any action against him. But since he has been a cricketer, it's his moral responsibility to apologize to the Indian cricketers for what he said," Shukla insisted.
"It's a gentleman's sport and that is why Akhtar should seek an apology for his own dignity. It's not in the BCCI's jurisdiction to stop someone from writing a book. But what he wrote is not cricket."