Thirteen years after Bob Woolmer‘s death, Shoaib Akhtar has opened up about his seemingly strained relationship with his once coach, revealing how he was actually ‘a friend and a father figure’ to the speedster.
“People think we used to fight a lot, but it was not like that. There used to be some misunderstanding,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel, recalling his time with Woolmer.
“When he became the coach, he came to me in Northampton and said, ‘Shoaib, I don’t want any trouble from you’. I told him he was talking to the wrong person, and he would not have any problem with me.
On This Day in 2007, Bob Woolmer was found dead in a Kingston hotel during the World Cup.
From the @WisdenAlmanack archives, here's Paul Newman's account of one of cricket's most tragic moments. https://t.co/bNe7MET0AQ
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 18, 2020
“Woolmer told me people had indicated that I could be trouble. I told him ‘In times to come, you’ll see.'”
Prone to controversies throughout his playing days, Akhtar had found himself at the centre of a major row during the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, when a liaison officer alleged that Akhtar slapped Woolmer, a claim that was denied by both. In the video, Akhtar agreed that the two took time to forge a bond, but went on to become good friends thereafter.
“For a year and a half, we couldn’t get along much. Things changed on England’s tour to Pakistan, after the 2005 Ashes. I always used to tell Woolmer how cricket was an individual’s game, and he would disagree.”
An injury-hit Akhtar, battling knee problems, told Woolmer how he wasn’t sure if he would be able to see the series through. He revealed how there were murmurs about dropping him, but he eventually played the series, picking 17 wickets in three Tests, in Pakistan’s 2-0 series win.
“Bob was dancing in the dressing room [after the series win], saying ‘You were right, it is an individual game’.
“We became friends from there. We used to spend time together. He had a difficult time working with Inzamam-ul-Haq, the captain. I used to console him. He told me ‘You’re the most comfortable guy to work with’.”
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Just before Woolmer’s departure for the 2007 World Cup, an injured Akhtar had met his coach, asking to him to take the job easy and not worry too much. “Take care of yourself, and come back in one piece,” Akhtar told Woolmer. “He said – ‘Shabs, I am going to miss you, man’.”
Akhtar described how it turned out to be their last-ever meeting, before Woolmer passed away in March 2007.
