Sports

‘Wasim, Waqar failed to groom youngsters’

Former fast-bowler Mohammad Akram blames retired duo for bowling troubles.

Umar Farooq November 22, 2010

ABU DHABI: Former Pakistan fast-bowler Mohammad Akram has blamed the retired duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis for Pakistan’s fast-bowling crisis, saying they failed to groom youngsters during their playing days.

Akram, currently working as a television commentator for the UAE series, played nine Tests and 23 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for Pakistan and was widely tipped for a long international career, longer than the five years that he spent playing for Pakistan.

“My complaint with Wasim and Younis is that they didn’t try and groom bowlers to take over after they retired,” Akram told The Express Tribune. “It’s really unfortunate that they failed to transfer their skills and expertise like Sarfraz Nawaz and Imran Khan did in their time.

“Imran groomed the duo but they left nothing behind. They walked away without giving Pakistan any sort of backup. They do have their own personal records, which I admire them for, but the result is that today we don’t have a line of bowlers to fall back on.”

Akram also rued his limited opportunity for Pakistan, at a time when Wasim and Younis were immovable.

“I was unfortunate that I had a very limited playing career because Wasim and Younis were on at their peak and despite being with the team, I was a backup player and that was hurting me. However, all credit to them as they were hungry for success and immensely talented. I can only say that I was there at the wrong time.”

Not a huge swinger of the ball, Akram relied on off-the-pitch movement and his unerring line and stamina made him a real prospect for Pakistan. Discarded after a wicketless home Test against New Zealand in November 1996, Akram grabbed five wickets against Australia on his return three years later. Pakistan went on to lose that match by an innings and Akram played only two more Tests before deciding to call it a day.

“I was a good bowler and wanted to play for my country but I hardly got any chances. It was very frustrating for me, especially when I would get a match after months of waiting so with time, my interest in playing for Pakistan gradually phased out. Therefore, I decided to give up when I was dropped for the match after my five-wicket haul.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 22^nd, 2010.

COMMENTS (8)

Shazad | 13 years ago | Reply If Wasim & Waqar failed to groom the youngsters.....then so did Shane Warne/ Glen McGrath....Curtly Ambrose/Courtney Walsh!!!!

User | 13 years ago | Reply no its not true

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

FZ | 13 years ago | Reply I think both the bowlers did help the young Pakistani talent of that time. We are watching Waqar for the past one year and he did a good job with Aamir, Asig and especially Shoaib. Unfortunately they are not with the team In past we have seen how these two developed bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar, Abdur Razzaq and for that matter Azhar Mehmood. Remember the 99 world cup, than shariah cup and the series we had in Australia. Mohammad Akram was a good bowler but he wasn't the best even in those times. They are still very much there and it depends on our board how do they utilize the talents of the great Ws

ali | 13 years ago | Reply akram had not the skills of waqar and wasim. now he should not blaming on them..

Obaid Nasir | 13 years ago | Reply does anyone remember how wasim akram was made to leave the team, a bowler for which only a country could ever dream to have again, not only us but every cricket loving fan idolizes him. He played last for Pakistan in 2003 and Aamir Sohail. He had altogether shown a single door for all Pakistani players. Its management and boards responsibility how to utilize your legends, they could have been asked to leave but not in a one go but one by one so that next bunch could be groomed. Anyway bowlers had kept coming but they were always short of strategic and intelligent bowling, there are still new breed of players I know have got the guts to perform well in international arena but I can only certainly wish that our Selection committee wake up and make a next 5 year plan, they definitely have no vision at all. I would say to invite all the shortlisted bowlers in academy and make them run in front of Wasim.

Murtaza | 13 years ago | Reply Lets be honest what has the Pakistan cricket board, the government or the people of Pakistan given those two legends to ask for something in return? Wasim was literally thrown out of the team, back in 2003, and yet he offered to coach the team and was ignored. I am sure you can find newspaper articles from 05-06 where the PCB outrightly said no its okay we dont need him. To say that they did not train/groom the younger is entirely wrong, because if I remember correctly Wasim found Ameer and trained him as well before he joined the team in 2009 T20 World Cup. And Waqar is coaching the team right now. its not his fault that these players are a bunch of fools who get caught in one controversy after another.

Rehan | 13 years ago | Reply Rubbish! Blame in on others...

IZ | 13 years ago | Reply Its true that Imran Khan did groom Wasim and Waqar well, but there is more to it than that. Both had heavy duty county exposure early in their careers at a time when county cricket was still of a high quality and there were less international tours so they learned from their counties too. Furthermore, later in their careers, politics and internal squabbling had become the norm in Pakistani cricket which meant that to try and retain and build one's place in the side, WA and WY were less focused on building up the rest of the team. It is unfortunate when we see the amount of talent that came up on the late 90s/early 2000s which did not fulfill its potential - Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Azhar Mahmood, Aamir Nazir, Mohammad Akram, Mohammad Zahid, Kabir Khan, Shahid Nazir, Rana Naved, Shabbir Ahmad and so on. Having said that in the modern game it is the coach and management which has the responsibility of building up the technique, fitness and mental strength of the players. It can't always be the job of the senior players.

Replying to X