Lahore, September 11, 2026: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has called for the revival of club cricket and greater consistency in team selection, saying Pakistan’s talent must be developed through a strong domestic structure.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Akram urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to allow its newly introduced domestic system to continue for at least three to four years before making further changes.
“PSL has completed 10 years, but not a single batter has emerged from it,” the former captain said, while acknowledging that the Pakistan Super League had produced bowlers.
Akram said Pakistan’s defeats against Bangladesh in both home and away series had already sounded alarm bells, but no corrective action was taken.
“Whatever the coach, even if you bring the best coach, I or [Gary] Kirsten, the talent you have is the same,” he said.
He stressed that the national side needed greater consistency but criticised the repeated inclusion and exclusion of the same players.
“The team should have consistency, but the same boys keep coming and going,” he added.
Calling for the 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 to strengthen cricket infrastructure and grassroots development.
The former captain said Pakistan’s white-ball team was in comparatively good shape, while the red-ball side remained a major concern.
“White-ball is fine, but red-ball is not. We face difficulties in that,” he said.
Discussing Pakistan’s pace attack, Akram said young bowlers should be given enough time to develop instead of being judged too quickly.
“Bowling one delivery at 150 kilometres per hour is not a major achievement, while maintaining 140kph throughout the day is exceptional,” said the former left-arm fast bowler.
Akram also questioned Shaheen Afridi’s reduced pace, describing him as an experienced bowler and stressing that England needed players with experience of challenging conditions.
“If I were there, I would say I need Aaqib Javed. He has bowled well in England recently,” Akram said.
He also called for greater variety in Pakistan’s pace attack, recalling that the team had previously succeeded in similar conditions with fast bowlers possessing different styles and speeds rather than relying on bowlers with similar attributes.
A day earlier, Akram had criticised the lack of communication within the Pakistan team, saying it was “embarrassing” when players and coaches left a tour midway.
In an interview with cricket YouTuber Furqan Bhatti, Akram discussed Pakistan’s ongoing struggles and called for greater consistency and communication within the team setup, according to Geo Super.
“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,” he had said.
Following back-to-back defeats against England, the PCB last month overhauled the squad, replacing seven players, including senior trio Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Ali Agha.
The board also brought in white-ball head coach Mike Hesson and assistant coach Ashley Noffke, replacing Sarfaraz Ahmed and Umar Gul, respectively.
Akram said Pakistan had enough talent to succeed, pointing out that he had closely observed the country’s players through his involvement with 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.
The left-arm pace legend also called for continuity in Pakistan’s domestic cricket structure, urging the authorities to give the system several years to produce results rather than repeatedly changing it.
