Alan Mullally reveals why he called Wasim Akram an idiot

Former England cricketer Alan Mullally may not have inspired many with his cricketing abilities in his career but he surely did grab some attention with his words. The 47-year-old who made his debut back in 1996 against India in an ODI, spoke to ESPNCricinfo on Monday regarding the autobiography that he is writing and shed light on some of the controversial instances in his career.

The left-arm pacer revealed that he had once called Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram an idiot during a Test match, after an incident related to Mullally's batting.

Though Mullally wasn't a bloke who could be trusted with the bat, he often turned out to be an entertainer whenever he got the chance. ESPNCricinfo quoted him as saying, "I didn't take myself seriously with the bat. Of course, I was shit. But I loved it."

Mullally was so bad that coach David Lloyd said that he would buy 30 pints of Guinness (Irish stout) if he could hit over 30 runs in an innings. He stated, "Lloyd said he’d buy me 30 pints of Guinness if I could score 30 against Pakistan. I got to 24, gave the dressing room the signal to get them in, and then Wasim Akram bowled me with a slower ball."

“Walking off, I told him that he was an idiot because he could have shared the Guinness with me. Wasim said that if I’d told him about Bumble’s promise, he would have bowled half-volleys to get me to 30," he added.

He also recalled his banter with former Australian cricketers Steve Waugh and Glenn McGrath. “Steve Waugh tried to give me his mental disintegration," Mullally said.

He recalled one such instance where he shut Waugh's mouth during a Test match. He stated, "I bowled round the wicket and he blocked it. And he said, ‘What do you follow-through so far for, Mullally? Anyone would think you’re a fast bowler.’ And I said, ‘Look, Mr Stephen Waugh, the reason I follow through so far is because I’m a very poor athlete and it takes a long time to put the brakes on.’

“He didn’t know what to say then," he said.

He further went on to state that Aussie legend McGrath once bought him a beer for having a go at him. He recalled the Test match against Australia and said, "McGrath was getting stuck into me with his mouth once and I said, ‘I’m not interested in your gobshite. If you want to have a full go, I’ll meet you round the back after the game.’

"He got fined three and a half grand and he bought me a beer afterwards, and he goes: ‘Al, that beer just cost me three and a half grand.’ And we laughed about it," he said.

The left-arm bowler played for England between the period of 1996 and 2001, representing the national team in 19 Tests and 50 ODIs.