Will Shoaib play baddie in reel-life?

Mahesh Bhatt wants Shoaib Akhtar in his next film and is prepared to travel to Islamabad to sign him on but the fast bowler has said he want...

Mahesh Bhatt wants Shoaib Akhtar in his next film and is prepared to travel to Islamabad to sign him on but the fast bowler has said he wants to perform only on the field, not in films. ‘‘I have a lot of cricket ahead of me and I only want to have hits that win my team matches’’, he told The Sunday Express.

Disappointed at his exclusion from the West Indies tour, Akhtar sounded amused by the offer and said that it would be rude to not meet Bhatt. The director, who wants Akhtar in his next film, Gangster, is convinced that once Akhtar hears the story he will accept the role of an underworld mafia don who is betrayed by the girl he loves.

Akhtar has been hitting the headlines in the past four months, though he’s missed the on-field action.

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‘‘I don’t know why but they can’t keep me out. Shoaib Akhtar always makes headlines,” he said.

He’s due to leave for Worcestershire on June 5, but will return to Islamabad on June 12 to participate in the ‘‘Walk for Hunger’’ to promote the World Food Program. But it hasn’t been all music for him.

An article in Dawn, quoting a leaked letter, has raised again the issue of Shoaib’s indiscipline. The letter is to Lt-Gen Hamid Javaid, Chief of Staff to President Pervez Musharraf (who is also the PCB’s patron-in-chief) from PCB boss Shaharyar Khan.

It says that officials concerned were unanimous in their opinion that the team behaved in a completely disciplined manner on their tour of Australia earlier this year — except for one player (Shoaib Akhtar).

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‘‘Woolmer has stated that in his entire career, he has not experienced a better-behaved and disciplined team. Only Shoaib Akhtar’s conduct has sullied the team’s image’’, the letter said.