Amir can become a world-class bowler: Wasim Akram

The 'sultan of swing' believes the youngster should be given a chance to redeem himself

Former captain Wasim Akram said on Sunday pacer Muhammad Amir can become a world class fast-bowler as he has age on his side and a bright future ahead of him.  

"I think he should concentrate on domestic cricket for a full season before he thinks about playing international cricket again," Akram told Pakpassion.net.

Akram said Amir must perform in domestic cricket and should regain his confidence before entering international cricket.

"Amir should get some matches under his belt, get some wickets and then come back to international cricket," he said, adding Amir should be given another chance as he had apologised for the mistake he committed.

Read: Pakistan cricket fraternity not as forgiving as ICC

Speaking about the future of Saeed Ajmal in international cricket, Akram cited the example of Muttiah Muralitharan, saying if the Sri Lankan cricketer could play well in to his forties then there was no reason why Ajmal could not match the same feat.

"Ajmal has been a fantastic servant for Pakistan cricket and as long as he is taking wickets then there is no reason why he cannot play for Pakistan once again," he said.

Akram said the most important thing though was whether Ajmal is comfortable with his new action and whether he can be effective with the revised bowling action.

Read: Saeed Ajmal will make a comeback: Mohsin Khan

Regarding Younus Khan, Akram said Younus does not get the recognition in world cricket that he deserves. "He is as good as any player in the world when it comes to Test cricket. If you talk about the current great Test batsmen such as AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Michael Clarke or Steve Smith then Younus deserves to be mentioned," he said.

Further, Akram said Younus, who has numerous batting records, is a true ambassador of Pakistan cricket.

"He is a great, honest and hardworking guy. His performance speaks for itself and as a Pakistani I am very proud of him and his achievements," Akram added.

Commenting on pace bowlers in Pakistan, Akram believes that Pakistan's pace bowling talent will never stop.

"We need to channel these fast bowlers and make sure we make full use of our academies and the facilities they provide," he said.

Read: PCB should invest in U-19 players: Wasim Akram

Akram said academies should be available in major cities and not just in Lahore. "PCB needs to ensure that they invest in the academies as well as our up and coming cricketers as they are the future," he said.