'Have we produced a batter like Sooryavanshi?': Akram on Pakistan's batting crisis

🏏 Wasim Akram fires on Pakistan's batting crisis: "Have we produced a batter like Sooryavanshi?"

The legendary pacer didn't hold back in Lahore on Friday. With the home-and-away Test series loss to Bangladesh stinging, Akram questioned whether a decade of PSL has actually yielded any noteworthy batting talent for the national side.

"Yes, we've produced a few bowlers—but a batter? Tell me, have we produced any real batting talent in 10 years?" he asked, pointing to India's teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as the kind of product Pakistan's system simply isn't delivering.

The bigger picture: While optimistic about whiteball cricket, Akram called Pakistan's Test outlook "bad." He urged the PCB to stop rotating personnel and instead give the domestic structure 3–4 years to mature. His remedy? Revive club cricket—spending ₹100 million each in Karachi and Lahore, since that's where raw talent is born.

In England: Akram critiqued his batters for staying "rooted in the crease" against bowlers like Ollie Robinson. "You need courage—but for that, talent is essential." On fast bowling, he made a sharp point: one ball at 150 km/h means nothing; can you hold 140 km/h all day?

He also flagged Shaheen Afridi's pace drop and named Akif Javed as a bowler who deserved a spot.

My take: Like a long Bharatanatyam piece, cricket building can't be rushed—patience and discipline create the rhythm. But Akram's right: without a strong domestic foundation, the music fades. 🎶

What do you think—should the PCB wait out the domestic rebuild, or make more changes? Drop your thoughts below! 💬

Source: Times of India