Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Thursday said he is relieved to be over his controversies, mental problems and injuries and cannot wait to start playing cricket again for his country.
He was part of the squad that visited Scotland for a week but their two matches against Scotland and India were washed out without a single ball bowled due to rain.
But that was only a minor frustration as Shoaib, 31, is intent on playing for the next four or five years and leaving the game on a high note. He also spoke of his relief at the Court of Arbitration's decision to drop the case against him and Mohammed Asif.
"I've had lots of controversies, mental problems, health problems, injuries yeah I'm glad to be over them now. I've fixed myself once again," Shoaib said on his official website Bigstarcricket.com. "It was difficult at times to gather myself, especially during the ban. It was one of the darkest days of my life.
"It's good to be back in cricket and I wish I could have played those games that we couldn't play in Scotland because they were rained off but it was great to be back in the side and obviously while we were there the Court of Arbitration set us free so it's all good.
"The Court's decision was a relief. Those times when I was banned were the darkest of my life, as I was in such agony and pain and mental stress. But as my ban went along I became tougher, calmer and I would say I was peaceful and thought whatever is going to happen is going to happen, I am not going to change what I am.
"But I have never taken illegal substances, I never did anything wrong, I don't need to be honest - I've bowled 100 miles [an hour], I've been the fastest bowler on this planet already so I've done more things than people have only dreamed of.
"The way the doping case was handled was stupid and pathetically wrong. They could have saved their country's respect and a big disaster because two of us lost our fitness and never ended up going to the World Cup."
Shoaib first announced himself to the wider world at the 1999 World Cup and it is that old form from himself and the team that he would like to return to. He believes it is time for Pakistan to begin a new era after so many recent controversies.
"The last four years for Pakistan cricket have been ballistic and full of happening with The Oval fiasco, my doping fiasco, it was too much for Pakistan cricket to handle. Now the Pakistan team is recovering well, on the winning streak and we would like to do well once again."
Courtesy: Bigstarcricket.com
