Wasim Akram has delivered a scathing assessment of the Pakistan cricket setup, stating that he fully expected a 3-0 series whitewash against England even before the tour commenced.
Following decisive defeats at Headingley and Lord's, which handed England an unassailable 2-0 lead, the legendary fast bowler outlined systemic failures that stretch far beyond individual player performances on the field.
“I knew before the series we were going to lose 3-0 to England. Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science,” Akram told The Athletic.
Akram emphasized that the root causes of the crisis run much deeper than the current national squad, exposing structural defects within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) infrastructure.
He further cited that the current players represent the absolute ceiling of the available talent pool because the development structures underneath them are virtually non-existent.
“But in Pakistan we have a saying: ‘You can only clap with two hands’. I get asked all the time, ‘Can you do something to help Pakistan cricket?’ But the issues are a lot deeper. These are the top players, there’s nothing else there. The systems aren’t there below that. The first-class structure domestically has been all over the place the last few years and there’s no consistency, no patience,” Akram said.
Wasim Akram also criticized the fanbase for lack of patience, noting that whenever the national team loses, the immediate reaction is to tear down the entire system and start over, a cycle that has left nothing substantial to rebuild upon.
“That dribbles down to the fans, too. They see the team lose and they want to rip it all up, too. We’ve done that so many times and now there is nothing really left,” he remarked.
In the wake of these losses, the PCB enacted a massive mid-series purge, sending seven squad players home and sacking head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed alongside bowling coach Umar Gul.
The white-ball setup, led by Mike Hesson, has been brought in on short notice to take charge of the third and final Test, slated to begin on September 9 at Edgbaston. The revamped squad now includes a mix of domestic talent, calling up Saim Ayub, Abdullah Fazal, and five uncapped players.
