Last Updated on 1 minute ago by Charbel Coorey
Former Pakistan captain and fast bowler Wasim Akram has admitted he cannot help Pakistan cricket as problems have gone too deep and are too widespread. Akram doesn’t think any one man can reverse the decline because the problems are there in batting, bowling, fielding and the domestic system.
Akram said before the third Test against England at Edgbaston that the team’s struggles had been expected. He had already seen the flaws in all three departments before the series started and thought Pakistan would find it difficult.
Akram also bemoaned the state of Pakistan’s first class structure, which he believes has been a major factor in the national team’s recent struggles. He said that inconsistency and lack of patience in domestic cricket have affected the quality of players coming to the national team.
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The ex-captain argued that the buck cannot be passed to an individual or a group. “The problems are at different levels of Pakistan cricket and need to be sorted out at the system level,” Akram said.
Wasim Akram: “I knew before the series we were going to lose 3-0 to England.”
In an interview with The Athletic (New York Times), the Pakistani legend opened up on his thoughts upon Pakistan’s cricket team issues and why he cannot help them in such a crisis.
“I get asked all the time, ‘Can you do something to help Pakistan cricket?’ But the issues are a lot deeper. These are the top players, there’s nothing else there,” Akram said.
“The systems aren’t there below that. The first-class structure domestically has been all over the place the last few years and there’s no consistency, no patience. But in Pakistan we have a saying: ‘You can only clap with two hands.’
“I knew before the series we were going to lose 3-0 to England,” he continued as he painted a picture of the gulf between the two sides. Akram was equally direct about the team’s on-field failings, stating, “Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average, and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science,” he said.
Pakistan’s struggles against England have once again raised questions over the strength of the side and the players at the disposal of the national selectors. Akram’s comments have added fuel to the growing debate about the need for long-term changes in Pakistan cricket.
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