Wasim Akram Archives

Wasim Akram hails Mitchell Starc as ‘modern-day great’

Pakistan fast bowling legend Wasim Akram on Saturday hailed Australia’s Mitchell Starc as a “modern-day great” for reaching 100 Test appearances.

Starc, who draws comparisons with fellow left-arm quick Akram, will reach the milestone later Saturday when the third Test against the West Indies begins in Jamaica.

“It is a big deal in this day and age to reach 100 Tests, congratulations to Starc,” Akram told AFP. “That shows the quality and resolve of the man.”

The 35-year-old becomes the 83rd player and 16th Australian to play 100 Tests, and only the second Australian fast bowler after Glenn McGrath.

“To play 100 Tests shows how consistent Starc has been and also shows where his priorities lie; that is to play red-ball cricket,” said Wasim Akram.

“He has also played Twenty20 and league cricket, but his career in Test cricket is way ahead, and to me he is a modern-day great.”

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Mitchell Starc stands on 395 Test wickets, so he has the tantalising prospect of taking his landmark 400th wicket during his 100th Test.

His strike rate is remarkably similar to Wasim Akram, who retired in 2002 after taking 414 wickets in 104 Tests.

Both players, said Akram, had suffered injuries to “every joint, every part of the body” during their careers.

“People often compare us, but we have played in different eras,” said Akram. “He’s got the pace, he’s got the swing and he’s bowling very intelligently to the new batter, especially with the new ball.”

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Former Indian pacer says Jasprit Bumrah is better than Wasim Akram

Former India pacer Varun Aaron has ignited a passionate debate in the cricketing world by stating that Jasprit Bumrah is superior to the legendary Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram.

Aaron made the remark after Bumrah’s sensational five-wicket haul against England in the Headingley Test, where the Indian speedster once again proved why he’s considered among the modern greats.

Bumrah finished with 5 for 83 in the first innings, dismissing Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, and Josh Tongue.

“Calling him a genius would be an understatement,” Varun Aaron said in a recent interview.

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“He has now gone past Wasim Akram in terms of wickets taken in SENA countries. That says it all for me.

“Wasim was arguably the best fast bowler to walk the face of the earth, and Bumrah is pretty much the same, if not better.”

Aaron also pointed out that Bumrah reached the milestone in far fewer innings, further underlining his phenomenal consistency and impact in challenging conditions.

With his latest effort, Bumrah became the Asian bowler with the most Test wickets in SENA countries, South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia, overtaking Wasim Akram’s long-standing tally.

Most Test wickets by Asian bowlers in SENA:

Jasprit Bumrah – 150*

Wasim Akram – 146

Anil Kumble – 141

Ishant Sharma – 130

Muttiah Muralitharan – 125

READ: Indian legend criticises name order in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

Jasprit Bumrah on the brink of surpassing Wasim Akram’s record

Jasprit Bumrah, the pace spearhead of India, is on the brink of breaking a unique bowling record, currently held by legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram.

The former captain of Pakistan has taken the most Test wickets by an Asian bowler in SENA countries — South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia.

During his legendary career, he played 32 Test matches across these countries and achieved a remarkable total of 146 wickets.

However, Bumrah is just one wicket away from matching this record, having taken 145 wickets in only 31 matches within the SENA nations.

With the five-match Test series against England approaching, Bumrah could become the first Asian bowler to reach 150 Test wickets in SENA countries.

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It’s worth noting that the Indian team management has announced that Jasprit Bumrah will participate in just three matches.

This strategic decision is aimed at carefully managing his workload, ensuring that he remains fit and minimises the risk of injury.

The five-match Test series between India and England is set to begin on 20 June at Headingley.

The teams will then move to Birmingham for the second Test, which will take place from 2 to 6 July. The third Test is scheduled to be held at the iconic Lord’s from 10 to 14 July.

Following that, the fourth Test will commence at Old Trafford on 23 July. The series will conclude with the fifth Test at The Oval, scheduled from 31 July to 4 August.

India Test squad for England tour

Shubman Gill (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akashdeep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.

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Wasim Akram backs THIS legend as Pakistan’s red-ball batting coach

KARACHI: Pakistan legend cricketer Wasim Akram has backed Younis Khan as a potential candidate for the red-ball coach for the Pakistan team.

Speaking during a ceremony in the provincial capital, Wasim expressed his thoughts on the recently concluded Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

The former pacer also revealed an option for the potential candidate to coach Pakistan’s Test team.

“Younis Khan can be a good option as a batting coach for red-ball cricket. The new coach can change the mindset of the new boys,” he said.

“The new coach will work on the Pakistan team with a new mindset,” he added.

Wasim Akram emphasized PSL, stating that some of the players had impressed him while hailing the return of the foreign players after the tournament’s resumption.

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“Hasan Nawaz has impressed in PSL. Salman Mirza and Ali Raza showed good performance in bowling,” he observed.

While hailing players, he also advocated for them, stressing the importance of taking time to adapt to T20 cricket.

“Players should be given some time in T20 cricket,” he said.

Wasim Akram concluded by commenting on the situation of India-Pakistan cricketing ties, “I cannot even comment on what will change in Pakistan-India cricket.”

For the unversed, PCB had appointed Aqib Javed as the red-ball of the Pakistan team following the departure of head-coach Jason Gillespie.

However, Aqib Javed served as Pakistan’s interim head coach for all formats until the tour of New Zealand in April.

Two weeks earlier, he was named as the new Director of High Performance while former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson was appointed as white-ball coach.

READ: Shaheen Shah Afridi to captain PSL 10 Team of the Tournament

Wasim Akram reacts to PCB’s absence from Champions Trophy presentation ceremony

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram expressed concerns over the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials during the presentation ceremony of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai on Sunday.

Despite Pakistan being the official host of the tournament, there was no PCB representative on stage when India claimed their third Champions Trophy title by defeating New Zealand.

While speaking on the topic during a post-match programme, Wasim expressed surprise over the absence of the officials.

The pacer said that, to the best of his knowledge, the PCB chairman could not attend the presentation due to illness and was represented by PCB COO Sumair Ahmed and Director International Cricket Usman Wahla instead.

“We [Pakistan] were the hosts, weren’t we?

“Then the chief operating officer or whoever was representing the PCB chairman, why were they absent from the stage during the ceremony? Were they not invited? it definitely looked odd to me sitting here as well,” he said.

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Wasim Akram further reiterated that there should have been some representation from Pakistan.

“A Pakistani should have been on the stage, even if they didn’t hand over the cup or medals, in my opinion,” he concluded.

Additionally, the International Cricket Council (ICC) clarified the reason for the absence of PCB officials from the Champions Trophy 2025 final ceremony.

An ICC spokesperson explained that PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who was the official representative of the host board, had been invited to attend the ceremony but was unable to attend.

“Mr. Naqvi was unavailable and did not travel to Dubai for the final,” the spokesperson stated.

The apex cricketing body further emphasized its long-standing protocol regarding such events while responding to the criticism about the lack of Pakistani representation on stage.

The spokesperson outlined that, according to ICC procedures, only the head of the host board—whether it be the president, vice president, chairman, or CEO—is invited to be part of the awards ceremony.

Read: Mohsin Naqvi hails collective efforts behind successful hosting of Champions Trophy

Wasim Akram lashes out at Pakistan cricket team after loss against India

Legendary Wasim Akram has heavily criticized the Pakistan cricket team after the crushing defeat against arch-rivals India in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2024.

The six-wicket loss on Sunday has left the hosts in a precarious position, leaving their title defence hanging by a thread.

While batting first, Pakistan managed a modest 241 before getting bowled out in the final over. In reply, India cruised to victory with 45 balls to spare, thanks to a masterclass from Virat Kohli, who notched up a brilliant century.

While talking to a TV show, Wasim Akram slammed the Greenshirts for their below-par performance in the field, stating that there’s a need to take ‘drastic steps’ for improvement.

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“Enough is enough. Now it is time to take drastic steps. We have been playing archaic cricket in white-ball for ages,” Akram said.

“What would that be? Bring young cricketers, fearless cricketers in white-ball format. If you need to make 5-6 changes to the team, just do it. You might keep losing for the next six months. It’s fine but start building the team for the 2026 T20 World Cup from now.”

Wasim Akram also launched a scathing attack against the bowling attack of Pakistan for their disastrous performance in the last few matches.

“A lot of chances were given. You have made them the stars. In the last five ODIs, Pakistan bowlers have managed to get 24 wickets at an average of 60. That is 60 runs per wicket,” he stated.

“Of 14 teams including Oman and USA who played international cricket this year, Pakistan has the second-lowest bowling average in the list.”

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The legendary pacer also urged the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Mohsin Naqvi, to seek answers from the team’s coach, captain, and selection team about their decisions.

“Chairman sir, please call the captain, selection committee and coach and ask them what kind of selection they have made,” he urged.

“Even captain [Rizwan] is to blame. He is the leader of the ship and if he doesn’t know what kind of match-winner he needs, then it’s embarrassing.

“I have never seen anything like that in my life. It’s unfortunate. We as a nation are very passionate. But it’s frustrating.”

READ: Can Pakistan still qualify for Champions Trophy semi-final after India defeat?

‘These are our best players’ Wasim Akram backs Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad

Former pacer Wasim Akram backed the Pakistan team’s Champions Trophy squad after losing against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opening match at National Bank Stadium Karachi on Wednesday.

Speaking on a TV show, Wasim highlighted that the current squad includes the best available players and downplayed claims of selection based on personal references.

“If you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. In our culture, we say, these are our kids, don’t criticize them.”

Catch every Champions Trophy update here!

“But I believe these are our best players. If there was someone better, they would have been selected. People talk about ‘parchi’ (selection based on favoritism), but at this level, parchi doesn’t work,” Akram explained.

During the match, the Green Shirts suffered a significant blow as top-order batter Fakhar Zaman sustained an injury in the first over of New Zealand’s innings. He fell awkwardly while fielding, forcing him to leave the ground for medical assessment.

Though he attempted to return to the field after some time, he eventually walked off again, raising serious concerns about his fitness.

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Despite the discomfort, Fakhar still came out to bat in Pakistan’s chase of 321 runs. However, he looked far from his usual fluent self, managing a scratchy 24 before getting dismissed.

Earlier today, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Fakhar Zaman could no longer participate in the Champions Trophy and named Imam-ul-Haq as his replacement.

For the unversed, the defending champions and hosts Pakistan began their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a 60-run loss against New Zealand yesterday.

Green Shirts were bowled out on 260 in 47.2 overs after New Zealand’s clinical bowling performance. Khushdil Shah scored the most with his 69 off 49 balls.

Pakistan squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Imam-ul-Haq replaces Fakhar Zaman in Pakistan Champions Trophy 2025 squad

Wasim Akram questions Faheem Ashraf’s selection in Champions Trophy squad

Former Pakistan captain and bowling great Wasim Akram opened up on the selection of the national squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, expressing grievance over the selection of Faheem Ashraf and Khushdil Shah.

Pakistan announced their squad for the tri-nation series and the upcoming eight-team tournament on January 31.

While talking on the sidelines of the International League T20 (ILT20), Wasim Akram did not seem pleased with the selection of Faheem and Khushdil.

“I haven’t thought about the team announcement yet. But a couple of things that I have thought about. For instance, Faheem Ashraf is in the team. I wish him all the best.

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“He is a talented cricketer. But in the last 20 matches, his bowling average is 100 and he averages nine with the bat. He came out of the blue and Khushdil also came out of the blue,” the Sultan of Swing said.

Wasim Akram also shed light on Pakistan’s decision to select only one specialist spinner, Abrar Ahmed, for the much anticipated mega event.

“We are taking one spinner, a proper spinner especially knowing the conditions here in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I think India has three to four spinners in their squad.

“There is a reason behind that they have selected this. Anyway, the team has been selected. I wish the Pakistan team all the best,” he remarked.

The former captain expressed his delight over the return of Fakhar Zaman, while suggesting who should open with Fakhar in the absence of injured Saim Ayub.

“And now there will be a problem of opening as well. Fakhar Zaman has been picked, thank God he is back in the squad. He is one of the main players in world cricket in white ball,” he added.

“I would like to see Mohammad Rizwan as a middle-order batter in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, while I will be backing Babar Azam as an opener.

“His technique is great, If Babar plays 50 overs, he will score 100 or more than that, and with that, the entire team’s batting will score around him. This is my thought.”

Pakistan Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (wk)(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel, Naseem Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Haris Rauf.

READ: Imam-ul-Haq breaks silence on Champions Trophy 2025 snub

Wasim, Waqar, or Shoaib? Salman Butt names the most complete Pakistani bowler

Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt recently shared his thoughts on the most complete fast bowler among the legendary trio of Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis.

Each of these bowlers is revered as one of the greatest in the history of cricket, having struck fear into the hearts of even the most accomplished batters around the world during their careers.

With their devastating speed, exceptional skill, and remarkable accuracy, they have left an indelible mark on the game, showcasing the art of fast bowling in its finest form.

During a recent appearance on a local podcast, Salman Butt, who has played alongside all three bowlers, was asked to name the most complete bowler among them. The former captain highlighted that each bowler possesses unique qualities, making direct comparisons difficult.

“Look, Shoaib Bhai wasn’t just fast; he was a wonderful bowler with exceptional mental sharpness. He was always threatening and had all the skills,” Salman remarked.

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“Wasim Bhai and Waqar Bhai were not only express fast bowlers, but they could swing the ball, seam it, and execute deadly reverse swing. They had the ability to shatter toes and split helmets, such complete bowlers are unmatched.”

Salman Butt emphasized that these bowlers possess exceptional skills and talents that set them apart, making it impossible to draw comparisons with any bowler who represented Pakistan after them.

“You cannot compare anyone who came later with the category these three fall into. Especially Wasim and Waqar, the way they sustained their performances over such a long period is remarkable. The era in which they played and carried themselves is without parallel,” he added.

The former captain also highlighted the fitness levels of Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis, sharing examples of how they maintained high bowling speeds even as they neared the end of their illustrious careers.

“Wasim Bhai played his last World Cup in 2003 in South Africa and was still bowling at speeds of 137-138 km/h at the age of 40, something today’s bowlers struggle with. Waqar was no different in terms of his enduring brilliance,” he stated.

“Shoaib Bhai, despite his injuries, was bowling over 150 km/h in the 2011 World Cup in India at the age of 38-39. Such feats are rarely seen these days.”

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Wasim Akram reveals his top three Pakistan cricketers of all time

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram has recently unveiled his list of the top three cricketers of all time from Pakistan, which also includes 1992 World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan.

Akram, who was commentating during the recently concluded three-match ODI series between Pakistan and Australia, was asked to name the top three Pakistani cricketers.

The former pacer was urged to pick himself, considering his legendary status in Pakistan’s cricketing history, however, he opted against it. He picked his long-time bowling partner Waqar Younis at number three.

“Look, I’ve been told I might go off the script here. I’ve been told that I have to pick myself up, and I’m a bit embarrassed to do that. But number three, I pick Waqar Younis,” Akram said.

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Meanwhile, on number two, Wasim Akram picked legendary batter Javed Miandad, who is considered one of the greatest batters of all time.

“Number two is great Javed Miandad. I mean, every time you talk about greats coming out of Pakistan, Javed Miandad, his name is right up there,” he stated.

For the number one spot, Akram picked Imran Khan, who led Pakistan to their first-ever World Cup glory in 1992.

The former captain highlighted Imran’s impact on the game during a time when every team featured a legendary all-rounder like Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Kapil Dev.

“It’s got to be Imran Khan. I’ve seen him in his prime days as a cricketer. I mean, he was a proper all-rounder. That era was the allrounder era—Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, and then Kapil Dev from India,” he concluded.

READ: Australia suffer major blow ahead of T20I series against Pakistan