Wasim Akram's Blunt Assessment of Pakistan Cricket's Downfall
Wasim Akram saw the whitewash coming long before Pakistan set foot in England.
“I knew before the series we were going to lose 3-0 to England,” the former captain told The Athletic, a blunt assessment that now feels less like pessimism and more like inevitability.
Pakistan trail 0-2 heading into the third and final Test on Wednesday, outplayed in all departments and never truly in the contest. Akram, who once led sides that conquered England in three consecutive Test series between 1987 and 1996, did not sugarcoat what he has watched.
“Our batting is struggling, our bowling is below average and our fielding is worse. It’s not rocket science,” he said.
This is a man who knows what a hardened, streetwise Pakistan Test team looks like in English conditions. He was central to those famous triumphs, the left-arm spearhead and, later, captain of a group that thrived on adversity and relished silencing home crowds. What he sees now is a gulf – not just in skill, but in structure.
Shockwaves from PCB’s drastic overhaul
If the performances were alarming, the Pakistan Cricket Board’s reaction after the second Test sent an even bigger jolt through the game.
Seven players were sent home from the touring squad. Head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and his entire staff were sacked mid-series. It was the kind of sweeping reset that has become all too familiar in Pakistan cricket, but this time the scale stunned even seasoned observers.
Akram’s sympathy lies with the players, but not unconditionally.
He pointed to a deeper malaise, one that goes beyond a misfiring top order or a wayward pace attack. “In Pakistan we have a saying: ‘You can only clap with two hands’,” he said, a reminder that responsibility sits both with those running the game and those playing it.
He insisted this is not a case of hidden reserves waiting to be discovered. These are, in his eyes, the best cricketers available.
“These are the top players, there’s nothing else there. The systems aren’t there below that. The first-class structure domestically has been all over the place the last few years and there’s no consistency, no patience.”
That chaos, he argued, seeps into everything – even the way fans respond.
“That dribbles down to the fans, too. They see the team lose and they want to rip it all up, too. We’ve done that so many times and now there is nothing really left,” Akram said.
It is a damning verdict from a figure who has lived every phase of Pakistan cricket – the glory, the turmoil, the constant rebuilding. His words cut because they come from inside the house.
A different concern: Imran Khan’s health
When Akram turns from cricket to his former captain and long-time friend Imran Khan, the tone shifts. The frustration gives way to worry.
He revealed he has not spoken to Imran for three years, yet the distance has not dulled his concern over the former prime minister’s health amid his legal and political battles.
"I haven't spoken to him for three years. It's so unfortunate, politically, what's happening with him. The court of law is the court of law. But as far as his health is concerned, there can be no compromise on that," Akram said.
There are campaigns in England and elsewhere, he noted, pushing for better conditions for Imran. Inside Pakistan, he is less certain of the momentum.
"There's a movement in England and elsewhere (to improve Imran's conditions) but here (in Pakistan)? I'm not so sure," Akram said. "I'm speaking from the heart as someone who is worried about him as a person. Convicted or not convicted. Jail or no jail. We need to safeguard his health. We don't know what's happening, the government are saying his health apparently is fine. But I'm worried. I miss him a lot."
From the state of the national team to the fate of its most iconic leader, Akram’s voice carries a hard edge of realism and a softer note of nostalgia. One speaks to a cricket system he believes is fraying. The other to a bond with a captain he fears he may never see in full health again.
