Lahore: A Pakistani court has been asked to stop former cricket captain Wasim Akram from accepting an offer to coach rival India, court officials said. "India is our enemy, and for money Akram should not be allowed to coach the enemy. It is tantamount to a retired army official training the Indian army," Najmul Abbas, an individual not associated with any cricketing body, said on Wednesday in his petition to a civil court in Pakistan's eastern city Lahore. Akram, 37, has been asked to appear on Friday to respond to the petition. The lawyer representing Abbas, Ansar Mahmood Bajwar, said the world class bowler was a weapon Pakistan could not afford to share. "Akram is like a nuclear weapon and with Indians due to come to Pakistan next year the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) must stop him from grooming Indian fast bowlers," Bajwa told. The same lawyer is fighting a separate case against Akram for modelling in a liquor advertisement in India. Akram, who retired from International cricket in May this year, is currently in India as a guest of local sports television programs and is due to meet Indian cricket officials later this week. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering a request from captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright to hire Akram as the bowling coach of the national team. PCB chief executive Ramiz Raja said Akram was free to take coaching assignments. "It's his (Akram) call and we have no objection to that," Raja told. The left-armer is the highest wicket taker in One-day cricket with a world record 502 wickets under his belt. Akram has already been signed by Rupert Murdoch's television company, "ESPN-Star Sports", as a commentator for India's four-Test series in Australia next month. Stalled cricketing ties between Pakistan and India are set to be revived after New Delhi cleared the Indian team to visit Pakistan in March and April next year after an absence of nearly 14 years. Copyright AFP 2001

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Akram to coach Indian fast bowlers in Aus

Tags: pakistani court, wasim akram, india, ramiz raja, lahore, najmul abbas, pakistan cricket board, sourav ganguly, australia, john wright, march, april.