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 the Green Shirts’ losses to England in the ongoing Test series.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Akram said the PCB should allow its newly introduced domestic system to continue for three to four years.
“PSL has completed 10 years, but not a single batter has emerged from it,” the former skipper said. He, however, acknowledged that the league had produced bowlers.
He said Pakistan suffered defeats against Bangladesh in both home and away series, warning 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 team 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 for revival of 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 stressed 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 needed to be allowed 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, calling him 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 stressed the need for variety in the pace attack, saying Pakistan had previously played in similar conditions with different types of fast bowlers rather than relying on bowlers of the same pace.
Mid-series overhaul ’embarrassing’
Former Pakistan captain, a day earlier, had questioned the lack of communication within the national team, saying it is “embarrassing” when players and coaches leave a tour midway.
During a recent interview with cricket YouTuber Furqan Bhatti, Akram had 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 had said.
Following the back-to-back defeats at the hands of England, the PCB last month forced an overhaul, replacing seven members of the squad, including the senior trio of Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha, while also bringing 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 had said Pakistan have enough talent to succeed, pointing out that he has closely observed the country’s players through his involvement with the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 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 had 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.