Shoaib Akhtar says Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was an 'inspiration'

• "I would have been somewhere in the wilderness" had it not been for Dr AQ Khan, Akhtar says.
• Former pacer says nuclear scientist was always an inspiration and encouraged him a lot.
• The renowned nuclear scientist and national icon had passed away yesterday.

Former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said Monday national icon Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan was an "inspiration" for him, as he showered praise on the nuclear scientist, who passed away yesterday.

The former pacer, sharing a throwback of when he used to play for the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) on Twitter, said: "A memorable picture with #DrAbdulQadeerKhan from the time when I used to play for KRL."

"He was always an inspiration and encouraged me a lot. If not for him & KRL, I would have been somewhere in wilderness," the former pacer wrote on the micro-blogging website.

Sharing a photo with the nuclear scientist yesterday, where Akhtar had expressed grief over his demise, the former pacer said: "He had a very big role in my career as I played for KRL for many years."

"His note of appreciation is one of my most cherished possessions. He was truly Mohsin e Pakistan," he said, about the note in which Dr Khan had termed the former pacer "our national cricket hero."

The renowned nuclear scientist and national icon had passed away yesterday and was laid to rest in Islamabad, with his funeral prayers being led by Prof Dr Ahmed Al Ghazali at the Faisal Mosque.