Wasim Akram Urges Revival of Club Cricket in Pakistan

Key Takeaways

Wasim Akram calls for the revival of club cricket in Pakistan.
Akram criticizes the lack of emerging batters from the Pakistan Super League.
He suggests investing Rs. 100 million in Karachi and Lahore to strengthen grassroots cricket.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has called for the revival of club cricket and greater consistency in team selection following Pakistan’s recent defeats against England in the ongoing Test series.

Speaking to the media in Lahore, Akram emphasized the need for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to give its newly introduced domestic system at least three to four years to produce results.

He raised concerns over Pakistan’s talent development, particularly in batting, stating that no batters have emerged from the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in its 10-year history.

Akram acknowledged that the PSL has produced several bowlers but argued that the league has not contributed to the development of batters.

The former pacer highlighted that Pakistan’s recent defeats against Bangladesh, both at home and away, have already indicated deeper problems in the national setup.

He stressed that changing coaches would not solve the problem unless the overall talent pool improved, stating, 'Whatever the coach, even if you bring the best coach, I or [Gary] Kirsten, the talent you have is the same.'

Akram questioned Pakistan’s approach to team selection, suggesting that the side needs stability rather than repeatedly bringing back the same players.

He urged the PCB to invest Rs. 100 million each in Karachi and Lahore to strengthen cricket at the grassroots level, emphasizing the importance of genuine talent emerging through club cricket.

According to Akram, Pakistan’s white-ball team is currently in a better position, while red-ball cricket remains a major concern, stating, 'White-ball is fine, but red-ball is not. We face difficulties in that.'

Commenting on Pakistan’s fast bowlers, Akram said they should be given enough time to develop before conclusions are drawn about their abilities, noting, 'Bowling one delivery at 150 kilometers per hour is not a major achievement, while maintaining 140kph throughout the day is exceptional.'

He further stressed the importance of having variety in the pace attack, noting that Pakistan had previously succeeded in similar conditions by using different types of fast bowlers instead of relying on bowlers operating at similar speeds.