Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has made a bold assertion, stating that Afghanistan's star spinner, Rashid Khan, is a greater cricketer than legendary pacer Wasim Akram.
The claim comes amid growing recognition of Rashid's remarkable achievements since his international debut in 2015. The 26-year-old has taken 45 wickets in Tests, 198 in ODIs, and 161 in T20Is.
Rashid has cemented his status as a T20 legend, holding the record for the most wickets in the format, with 633 wickets to his name. Latif, speaking on a local news channel, credited Rashid for putting Afghanistan cricket on the map and helping the team gain global recognition.
“Rashid has brought Afghanistan onto the map, he has helped them get recognition,” Latif said. “He is greater than Wasim Akram. I am sorry to say, but Rashid’s stature is bigger,” he added.
Latif also shared advice for the young spinner, urging him to focus on improving Afghanistan’s Test cricket team to foster more competitive cricket, particularly against Pakistan.
“I have only one piece of advice for Rashid Khan: Improve your Test team and play more Test matches against Pakistan,” Latif said.
While Latif's comments may stir debate, Akram remains one of the game's greatest ever players, with 414 wickets in 104 Tests and 502 wickets in 356 ODIs.
Rashid Khan led Afghanistan to a historic semi-final appearance in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and will be a key figure for Afghanistan in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Afghanistan, drawn alongside South Africa, Australia, and England, will aim to build on their recent successes in white-ball cricket.
The Afghanistan squad for the Champions Trophy 2025 includes:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Sediqullah Atal, Rahmat Shah, Ikram Alikhil, Gulbadin Naib, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Farid Malik, Naveed Zadran.
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