By: Mohsin Ali
ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram on Friday called for the revival of club cricket and greater consistency in team selection, saying talent must be developed through the domestic structure after Pakistan’s defeats to England in the ongoing Test series.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Akram said the Pakistan Cricket Board should allow its newly introduced domestic system to continue for three to four years instead of making frequent changes.
He said the Pakistan Super League had completed 10 years, but not a single batter had emerged from it. However, he acknowledged that the league had produced bowlers.
Akram said Pakistan had suffered defeats against Bangladesh in both home and away series, adding that the “alarm bells were already ringing” but no action had been taken.
“Whatever the coach, even if you bring the best coach, I or [Gary] Kirsten, the talent you have is the same,” Akram said.
He said the national side needed consistency, but criticised the repeated selection of the same players. “The team should have consistency, but the same boys keep coming and going,” he added.
Stressing the need to revive club cricket, Akram said: “Talent has to come from club cricket.” He urged the PCB to invest Rs100 million each in Karachi and Lahore for cricket and emphasised the importance of a strong grassroots structure.
The former captain said Pakistan’s white-ball team was in good shape, but the red-ball side remained a concern. “White-ball is fine, but red-ball is not. We face difficulties in that,” he said.
Discussing the pace attack, Akram said bowlers should be given time to develop before firm judgments were made. “Bowling one delivery at 150 kilometres per hour is not a major achievement, while maintaining 140kph throughout the day is exceptional,” the “Sultan of Swing” added.
Akram also questioned Shaheen Afridi’s reduced pace, describing him as an experienced bowler and saying England needed players of his experience.
“If I were there, I would say I need Aaqib Javed. He has bowled well in England recently,” Akram said.
He also underlined the need for variety in the pace attack, saying Pakistan had previously played in similar conditions with different types of fast bowlers instead of relying on bowlers of the same pace.
A day earlier, Akram had questioned the lack of communication within the national team, saying it was “embarrassing” when players and coaches left a tour midway.
During a recent interview with cricket YouTuber Furqan Bhatti, Akram discussed Pakistan’s ongoing struggles and called for greater consistency and communication within the team setup, Geo Super reported.
“Consistency is the key, of course, but for how long? When seven players and two coaches return in the middle of a tour, it is embarrassing for the team and the captain, and it also shows there is a lack of communication,” Akram said.
Following back-to-back defeats at the hands of England, the PCB last month forced an overhaul, replacing seven members of the squad, including senior trio Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha. The board also brought in white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and assistant coach Ashley Noffke for the ousted duo of Sarfaraz and Umar Gul, respectively.
The left-arm pace legend said Pakistan had enough talent to succeed, pointing out that he had closely observed the country’s players through his involvement with Pakistan Super League teams over the past several years.
“I have been involved in the PSL with these teams for the past four to five years, so I have seen the situation closely. In my view, the talent is there. Coaches may change, but the core players remain largely the same,” he added.
Akram also called for continuity in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure, urging the authorities to give the system several years to produce results rather than making frequent changes.
