Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) received a lot of flak after the announcement of their 15-member squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman. Many fans and experts were angered with batsman Sharjeel Khan being dropped while the likes of Asif Ali, Azam Khan and Khushdil Shah getting picked.
While the former Pakistan cricketers like Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi expressed their displeasure regarding the recently announced squad, another ex-Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram backed the selected team for the upcoming ICC mega event.
“I feel the team that has been selected is fine keeping in mind the next three World Cups. This is what I feel as an ex-cricketer and ex-captain. Rest, whoever wants to say can do so. You can't pick a team based on people's and press' opinion,” Akram told ARY News.
“There is a plan and system. Asif Ali is a fine talent. I understand that his form in the CPL wasn't too good, but his strike rate is almost 170 in the PSL.
People on Twitter, I don't know who these pseudo analysts are, were saying his strike rate in 99.9 or something. I get that he got chances and he could not perform. But back the players, man. Stop criticizing all the time. It's annoying and frustrating and I get so angry at times,” he added.
The legendary fast bowler from Lahore then addressed the fact that Azam Khan was being trolled on social media platforms for his weight along with his selection in the T20 World Cup squad for the showpiece event in the middle east.
Akram then expressed displeasure over the 23-year-old right-hand batsman trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons by netizens.
“If you look at his present form. He is young right? People are mocking him for his weight. He has been trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons. Please spare him. He is Pakistan's child after all, and he needs to be given confidence,” the left-arm quick concluded.
(With ARY News Inputs)
