Tag: Wasim Akram

Former cricketers, including Wasim Akram and Kevin Pietersen, reacted over the Pakistan cricket team’s historic victory against Australia in the three-match ODI series.

Pakistan, under newly-appointed captain Mohammad Rizwan, defeated Australia in the third ODI by eight wickets in Perth to win their first series Down Under since 2002.

The visitors lost the first match of the three-match series by two wickets, however, they staged an impressive comeback to win the series 2-1.

Pakistan’s historic victory prompted reactions on social media from cricketers and analysts from across the globe.

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, who was commentating during the series, took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account and commended the national cricket team for their performance.

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“Congratulations Team Pakistan, beating World ODI Champions in a series is a big achievement. Having witnessed and commentating on this series I feel honoured,” he posted.

“This win will give huge confidence to the players, to the new captain Rizwan, cricket board and, most importantly, to the fans. It will lift Pakistan’s cricket image hugely.”

Meanwhile, former national team director Mohammad Hafeez praised the team, especially pace bowlers for setting up the series victory.

“Congratulations team Pakistan winning the ODI series in Australia in their backyard. Well done guys. Proud of u all. Fast bowling set up this great victory in all games,” Hafeez posted.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen also shared his opinion, praising Pakistan’s players for showing off their skills during the series.

“Pakistan win in Australia. This is the reason they have to sort out all the negative ‘noise’ and help the talent show off their skills. Put the politics aside and let the cricket do the talking,” Pietersen posted.

READ: Pakistan secure historic ODI series victory in Australia after 22-year drought

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram made a bold prediction on Monday that Pakistan could defeat India in a Test match after the latter’s clean sweep defeat at home against New Zealand.

The Kiwis became the first team to clean-sweep India at home in a three-match Test series after they defeated the hosts in the third Test at Mumbai on Sunday.

India struggled against New Zealand spinners during the Test series with Ajaz Patel taking 15 wickets in three matches and Mitchell Santner taking 13 wickets in the only match he played.

After the historic loss, Wasim Akram talked about the possibility of a Test match between long-standing rivals Pakistan and India while commentating on the ongoing first ODI between Pakistan and Australia in Melbourne.

During the conversation with fellow commentator Michael Vaughan, Akram predicted that Pakistan would have the upper hand on spin-friendly pitches.

“I would want to see a Test series between India and Pakistan,” remarked Vaughan

“It will be massive. It will be good for the game, for two cricket-crazy nations.” Akram replied.

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“Pakistan have a chance to beat India in Tests now on a spinning track. They have been hammered by New Zealand 3-0 at home.”

Akram’s confidence in Pakistan is backed by their recent 2-1 series victory against England in the home Test series.

Pakistan were in heaps of trouble after succumbing to an innings and 47 runs defeat in the opening Test of the series.

The under-fire hosts needed a miracle to fight for the series glory and they made four massive changes to their squad for the remaining two Tests, which marked the ouster of big names like Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah.

Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam replaced Babar, while the dynamic spin duo of Sajid Khan and Noman Ali came in as Shaheen and Naseem’s replacement.

The spin duo dismantled England in the remaining two Tests and picked up 39 out of their 40 wickets, while another late entrant Zahid Mahmood bagged the solitary wicket.

The mid-series additions Sajid Khan and Noman Ali played a pivotal role in marking an astounding turnaround for Pakistan, who recovered from 0-1 down to beat England 2-1 and seal their first Test series victory at home since 2021.

READ: Mitchell Starc achieves major milestone during first Pakistan ODI

Legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram has expressed that the upcoming ODI series against Australia poses a substantial challenge for the Pakistan cricket team under newly-appointed white-ball captain Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicket-keeper batter replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after the latter stepped down from the role earlier this month, in a bid to focus more on his role as a player.

Mohammad Rizwan will begin his tenure as captain with the three-match ODI series aginst Australia, starting on November 4.

Rizwan, who debuted in white-ball cricket in 2015, has played 74 ODIs and 102 T20Is to date, scoring 5,401 runs with four centuries and accounting for 143 dismissals behind the stumps.

As he leads the team in the opening ODI against Australia in Melbourne on 4 November, Rizwan will become Pakistan’s 31st captain. For the first T20I in Brisbane on 14 November, he will be the 12th to captain Pakistan in the format.

Wasim Akram, during an online press conference from Melbourne, highlighted Rizwan’s potential as captain citing his leadership experience.

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“Rizwan is an experienced campaigner. He’s been captaining all his life, leading Multan Sultans in the PSL to one trophy and two finals,” said Akram. “When it comes to leadership, he’s a seasoned campaigner.”

Nonetheless, the former captain emphasized the challenge of playing against Australia in their home conditions, particularly in ODI cricket.

“It’s his first tour [as captain] and a difficult one. It’s challenging to beat Australia in Australia, especially in ODI cricket,” he added.

“In T20I cricket [there is a chance] maybe, but Australia in ODI cricket is a tough team to beat.”

Wasim urged the Pakistan players to concentrate on playing high-quality cricket while pointing out that winning even a single ODI match in these conditions would be a notable accomplishment for the team.

“They should just focus on cricket and try to do well against Australia. Winning even one ODI out of three in Australia would be a big deal,” he remarked.

READ: Wasim Akram confident India will visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram has expressed hope that the India men’s team will tour Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in the February- March window, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain as the BCCI seeks the government’s approval to visit the country.

Remember, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the BCCI, that the Indian team will not be visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

India has not travelled to Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008 due to the long-standing political tensions between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, Pakistan has made four trips to India in the last 16 years. Their most recent visit was last year for the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023.

Wasim Akram, during an online press conference from Melbourne, recently shared his optimism regarding a potential visit from India to Pakistan.

He mentioned that he has been reading positive news from India, which has given him a sense of hope for the potential visit to Pakistan.

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“I think whatever I’m reading, there are positive vibes from [the] Indian government and [the] BCCI,” Akram said. “I also read somewhere they will play probably all their games in Lahore.”

The legendary fast bowler warmly welcomed the Indian cricket team to Pakistan, expressing his enthusiasm and assurance that they would be treated with exceptional hospitality during their stay.

“They will probably come to Lahore and travel [back] the same night. I’m all for it, as long as India is comfortable. And I can promise you, they [are] going to get looked after amazingly well,” he added.

“I mean, Indian cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, [Hardik] Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, they have fans in Pakistan. The young cricket fans adore them,” he concluded.

Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi reiterated that all eight teams, including India, will visit Pakistan to participate in the Champions Trophy 2025.

“Do not worry, all teams will come to Pakistan to play Champions Trophy,” Naqvi said in a casual interaction with the media in Karachi.

READ: Mohammad Rizwan extends warm invitation to India for Champions Trophy

Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram has shared his disappointment regarding the national men’s team’s historic loss in the Test series against Bangladesh.

The Green Shirts succumbed to a 2-0 loss in the two-match series against Bangladesh, which culminated at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Bangladesh outclassed Pakistan by six wickets in the second Test to complete the clean sweep. The touring side had won the first Test thumpingly by 10 wickets.

Wasim Akram, while talking to AFP, criticised the national Test team’s performance and raised serious concerns over the quality of cricket in the country.

“It’s a huge setback and our cricket is at a crossroads,” Akram said

“For a former player and captain, and a lover of the game, I was left embarrassed at the way they have lost from good positions. I simply don’t get it.

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“I don’t get it. We are losing on a consistent basis at home, and that says a lot about the quality of Pakistan cricket.”

Prior to Wasim Akram, former Pakistan Test captain Javed Miandad, known for his blunt remarks, also expressed his disappointment specifically with the team’s batting woes while lauding the touring side for their disciplined performances.

“It is hurting that our cricket has come to this stage. Bangladesh deserve credit for their disciplined performance. But the way our batting has collapsed in this series is a bad sign,” said Miandad.

Another former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq expressed his concerns over the team’s struggle in home conditions.

“Home series were always considered our best chance of beating the best sides in the past. But for this to happen the batsmen need to get runs,” Inzamam said.

READ: “I wouldn’t let him come near the team,” Kamran Akmal blasts Pakistan batter

Former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator Aakash Chopra picked legendary Pakistan Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis among the fast bowlers with best Yorkers.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra lauded the magnificent Yorker skills of current Indian pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami while also showering praise on Pakistan greats Wasim and Waqar.

The former Indian cricketer also spoke highly of Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, terming him “an absolute beast”.

“You cannot go far from him in modern-day cricket. You cannot look at anyone else apart from him. He made practising yorkers by keeping shoes popular – Lasith Malinga. Lasith Malinga was an absolute beast” Chopra said.

“His yorkers were different because they came with a lower trajectory. He was a genius. He also had a slower yorker,” he added.

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Aakash Chopra then paid homage to the legendary Pakistan fast-bowling duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis before drawing comparisons between the two great pacers’ mastery in bowling the Yorkers.

“Then I remember someone who used to come running from far. He too had a slight round-arm action. Just watching him run was a delight. Sometimes with the new ball as well but he was absolutely lethal with the old ball. The bowler’s name is Waqar Younis. His rhythm was worth watching,” Chopra explained.

“After that, I am thinking Wasim bhai. He is among the two Ws – Waqar and Wasim, and Wasim was different. He firstly used to change the angles a lot, bowl over and around the stumps, with a slight round-arm action or high-action as per his wish. Wasim Akram was that complete bowler who used to behold,” he concluded.

READ: Azam Khan suffers bizarre dismissal after being hit on neck

Former Pakistan pacer and legendary pacer Wasim Akram lambasted the national men’s cricket team for the below-par fitness standard.

Akram claimed that he was aware that the players were not focusing on fitness for the last two years. He also termed that their dismal performance in this year’s T20 World Cup was also a result of poor fitness.

“I haven’t talked much about this yet, and I don’t have any inside news, but I knew about it two years ago — cricketers aren’t focusing enough on their fitness,” Akram said.

“Now, during the [T20] World Cup, the whole world saw just how good the fitness of our cricket team truly was.”

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Wasim Akram then drew a comparison of the accessibility of information available regarding fitness during his cricket-playing days and today, stating that he would be well aware of it if he was playing currently.

“If I was playing cricket today, I’d have a lot of knowledge about fitness, as it’s now common,” stated Akram.

“During the time we played cricket, information about fitness wasn’t common. We didn’t know much, so we simply followed our seniors like Imran Khan and Javed Miandad. Whatever they did, we did exactly the same.”

Earlier this week, another former Pakistan captain Salman Butt raised concerns regarding the fitness of the national cricket team.

He, however, asserted that not all the players in the Pakistan team are unfit and termed Test captain Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan the fittest.

“Improvements will be seen in fitness soon. You cannot say all the players are not fit. If you look at some of the players they are among the top 10 players in terms of fitness in World cricket. You can look at Shan Masood, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Rizwan, you look at their fitness, they have achieved good scores in the Yo-Yo Tests. They are good in the gym, they run well on the field,” stated Butt.

READ: Injury jolts Bangladesh camp ahead of Pakistan Tests

Legendary pacer Wasim Akram was invited as the chief guest for Pakistan’s Independence Day celebration at the Consulate-General of Pakistan, Melbourne on Wednesday.

The ceremony highlighted the healthy diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Australia.

The Consul General at Pakistan Consulate General, Melbourne, Mr Syed Moazzam H. Shah thanked Wasim Akram and Cricket Australia (CA) officials for attending the event.

During the ceremony, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2003 trophy was put on display while children also competed in the national songs competed.

“The purpose of bringing the World Cup trophy is to double the fun of Independence Day for Pakistani fans,” said a CA official.

“We hope that fans will fully participate in the series against Pakistan,” he added.

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Legendary pacer Wasim Akram also addressed the ceremony and wished the nation on the 77th Independence Day.

He also lauded star athlete Arshad Nadeem for winning the historic gold medal at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024.

“Happy Independence Day to all Pakistanis,” said Akram.

“Arshad Nadeem has given the gift of Independence Day to the nation by winning the gold medal,” he added.

READ: Arshad Nadeem among sports personalities awarded Civil Awards

Pakistan former captain and legendary fast bowler Wasim Akram shared a piece of advice for India left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh.

Speaking to an international sports outlet, Akram advised Arshdeep to bowl fuller deliveries in the initial phase of the innings ‘just like Pakistan left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi’.

The former captain, who himself was a left-arm fast bowler, believed that fuller length deliveries would help Arshdeep, especially in the West Indies conditions

“He (Arshdeep) will get some help with the new ball in West Indies. The pitches are not very flat like we have seen in the IPL or Pakistan. He can take a chance with the new ball and pitch it up. Bowl like Shaheen Afridi,” Akram said.

He added that Arshdeep should have the mid-on and mid-off on the straighter side while bowling full length to ensure that even if he misses his mark, he has protection to stop the boundary.

“He can try that. Keep the mid-on and mid-off a bit straighter, so even if he misses the mark with the yorker, the two fielders can stop the straight shots,” the legendary pacer said.

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Akram also advised Arshdeep to rely on variations while in the death over. ”For his second spell, he should be using variations. While I’ve not seen him very closely recently, I think he’s got the potential to be a regular bowler for India, and I hope he has Test cricket in his mind. You can earn money and be famous for a year in T20s. but if you want to leave a legacy behind, you will have to think of the longest format,” he added.

India is currently placed at No.2 in Super 8’s Group 1 of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, having won against Afghanistan by 47 runs. The Rohit Sharma-led team is facing Bangladesh in their second match of the Super 8 match at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda.

READ: Shaheen Afridi will get Pakistan captaincy again: Wasim Akram

Pakistan’s legendary pacer Wasim Akram believes that left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi will get the leadership of the national team again.

Akram, in an interview, with an international sports media outlet, was asked to share his views on the ongoing captaincy saga of the national men’s cricket team.

The legendary pacer did not mince his words and lambasted the sudden changes in the team’s leadership, stating that such things would never result in consistent performances.

“Babar [Azam] was removed and Shaheen was brought in. He then lost one series and at that time, a new chairman came, who ordered to change the captain and the captain was changed,” stated Akram.

“This is not on. People make fun of us in world cricket. They don’t get it. If you made [Shaheen] Afridi captain, then should have given him at least a year,” he added.

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Akram then termed his distance from the Pakistan cricket set-up a blessing in disguise, considering the criticism involved.

“They don’t ask us [anything] but it’s good that we’re away from Pakistan cricket. It’s a blessing in disguise because it’s just criticism and politics,” Akram said.

Wasim Akram then went on to reveal what he likes the most about Shaheen Afridi before asserting that he would get the captaincy again.

“He’s a wicket-taking bowler. He goes for wickets. He attacks with the new ball in the T20 format. Everyone knows that he’ll pitch it up but he still gets them out and that’s what I love about him,” stated Akram.

“He’s an aggressive cricketer and he’s only 23 or 24 years old, maybe younger. Got a bright future ahead. He’ll get the captaincy again but should focus on his game until he doesn’t get it,” he added.

READ: Azhar Mahmood reveals reason behind backing Shadab Khan