Pakistan: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has called for the revival of club cricket and greater consistency in team selection following the national team’s defeats against England in the ongoing Test series.
Speaking to the media in Lahore on Friday, Akram urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to continue its newly introduced domestic cricket system for at least three to four years.
What did Wasim Akram say about Pakistan’s domestic cricket?
Akram said talent needed to be developed through the domestic and club cricket structure, urging the PCB to strengthen grassroots cricket.
“Talent has to come from club cricket,” he said.
He suggested that the PCB invest Rs100 million each in Karachi and Lahore to support cricket development.
Akram also said Pakistan had enough talent but needed consistency in its domestic structure and national team selection.
He criticised frequent changes in the team and said the same players were repeatedly selected and dropped.
“White-ball is fine, but red-ball is not. We face difficulties in that,” Akram said.
What did Akram say about the national team?
Akram said Pakistan’s recent defeats against Bangladesh had already raised concerns before the losses to England.
He said changing coaches alone would not resolve the team’s problems if the available talent remained the same.
Discussing Pakistan’s fast bowlers, Akram said young pacers needed time to develop before firm judgments were made.
He also questioned the reduction in Shaheen Afridi’s pace and stressed the importance of having different types of fast bowlers in the attack.
Akram further suggested that former Pakistan fast-bowling coach Aaqib Javed could have been useful to the team, citing his experience of bowling in English conditions.
A day earlier, Akram had criticised the lack of communication within the team after several players and coaches left the England tour midway.
“When seven players and two coaches return in the middle of a tour, it is embarrassing for the team and the captain,” he had said.
The PCB subsequently made changes to the squad and coaching setup following Pakistan’s defeats against England.
Akram has also previously called for continuity in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure, saying the system should be given several years to produce results.